Sparda in Colossal
by Grand Phoenix
Summary: During the hunt for Sasuke, Sakura comes across a strange enigma named Sparda, the One and Many. He claims to have knowledge of the true history of the world, of secrets repressed and denied by time, but how is Sakura involved in His plans? DISCONTINUED.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer :** All characters and places belong to Masashi Kishimoto, ©1999-2008. Any characters and/or locations not recognized in the _Naruto Shippuden _universe belong to Jennifer Nicole Siciliano, a/k/a Grand Phoenix.

_A/N: Revised July 11, 2008._

* * *

_"Thus let me live, unseen, unknown,  
Thus unlamented let me die;  
Steal from the world, and not a stone  
Tell where I lie."_  
-- Alexander Pope, _Ode on Solitude_

_"A palpable obscurity."_  
-- John Milton, _Paradise Lost_

* * *

**Prologue**

* * *

**HE WAS ONE, AND HE WAS MANY.** He was a diamond whose facets glowed at random intervals. In monotone, in color, in sepia, and in negativity, He could See All. He was Everywhere and He was Nowhere.

He was One who existed beyond mortality and within the reach of Death's doorstep. He was One who lived among men -- fragile, simple men -- and yet He resided in the realm far above the barriers of Earth, Air, and the Cosmos: the land that was Svarga.

He was One who saw the rise of Man's first civilization, from whence the dust they came from was pure and infantile. He was One who felt the darkness leak from their hearts. He was One whowatched the settlement collapse in despair and the opposing parties abandon the Cradle without a backward glance. It was He who performed miracles, who brought forth the rich and poor to establish diplomatic systems and founded what was known today as the Hidden Village Council. It was He who created the Shinobi race and led them to claim uncharted countries and forge foundations fitting of their name and affiliation. And, as time dwindled and aged, it was He who showed them the source of All Life and Stability, who taught them how to control it and properly utilize it from within the mind and from without the body. It was He who gave the Shinobi this gift, who programmed the channels of life energy into humans and other forms capable of producing it.

This energy, this source of life, was dubbed _chakra_. From these shapeless particles, miracles and wonders once demonstrated from Him astounded the Shinobi populace, surfacing alien and primitive emotions of sublimity and fear. Throughout the years, these techniques and its variations were recorded in arcane markings, its name lost in the vacuum of time. Later on, when nations fought tooth and nail, defensive martial arts were created to combat the more aggressive fighting styles developed by the imperial northern territories. The three main techniques stemmed from the philosophies of the Mind, Body, and Spirit were called _Genjutsu_, _Taijutsu_, and _Ninjutsu_, respectively.

As awe-inspiring as these stories may seem, there has been no evidence -- scientific or logistical -- of these events ever happening in the history of the Elemental Nations.

However, that did not mean He didn't exist.

His role in the world, whether it was active or passive, was unknown, and his life and very name remained a mystery to the Shinobi people. Unfortunately, there were very few sources on Him. The minority (a _very small _minority) who know of the One and Many claimed to have learned His existence in the libraries on non-Shinobi islands, provinces located on the south and east coasts of the Elemental Nations or along the scattered atolls beyond Sea Country.

Like the typical god in mythology, there were many different versions of the One and Many. One source explained that He was supposedly the Creator of the world (hence the religious figure _Kami_), rising from the bottomless depths of endless oceans the Earth with his mighty spear and droplets of salt. With His mate they descended from the heavens and cultivated the land which had come. Eventually they constructed a tall pillar around a sacred palace in willingness to reproduce in the new world. However, after complications with the mating ritual and two badly deformed children, He and His lover managed to bring forth eight great islands from their union, an allegorical interpretation of the creation of the Shinobi continent.

A second source stated that the planet had already become inhabited by homo-sapiens rapidly adapting to their surroundings. The aforementioned myth goes on to explain the One and Many observing the humans' actions -- actions that were put to the test of the _Kālá Chakra_, the Wheel of Time, after they fled the Seas in terror and confusion. It was an alleged fact, one that may have never seen the light of day, for them to fear what they did not know, did not comprehend. The oceans were not solid like the fresh soil beneath their feet, and what might have lay beyond the mysterious blue void was the End of the World, a horrible, damning aporia none wished to inflict upon or did not want to desire such a fate. Some things, He believed, were better left unsaid.

He had been calculating the days the humans migrated from the south and the east. He was always silent, mindful of their eyes and ears as He hid in rocks, trees, rivers, anything that would keep His identity a secret. He learned from watching that the nomads wished to find a place they could call Home, a Home where they could harvest crops, hunt game, mark trade routes and, most of all, live and prosper. It was not long after the exodus that they came upon seven family clans, each hailing from around the continent. Whether one family was once natives of the most brutal tundra or the harshest desert no longer mattered. They all had one thing in common, one dream yearning to come true, and it was so that these people turned to the task at hand.

For in their eyes came the light which filtered hope, pride, warmth, and harmony. And in their fervor they began to build their settlement one step, one day, at a time.

He continued watching.

Years passed, and progress was slowly being made. During this time houses and towers rose from their foundations. Markets dotted the core of the city and the makeshift government -- vaguely known as The Forum -- was organized at the northern regions away from the settlement. The population began to double as lesser known tribes and weary nomadic bands naturalized, and as more people joined the ranks uncharted territories became annexed by order of each clans' ruling head.

Allegedly it took four decades to accomplish the strenuous task, and it was with great joy

that the men, women, and children strived for the path ahead, the road which was forever changeable, forever inevitable. It was the past which shaped the present, the present which shaped the future, and the future which shaped both present and past. For it was in the hands of mankind to mold the meaning of their existence and the fates binding them to the Wheel of Time.

The chains which bound hell to its infernal gates loosened, and rage poured forth from the seeds of change.

Before His very Eyes, the serene and peaceful atmosphere of the society said to be a Golden Age quickly faded. A thick, dark cloud loomed over the civilization and the children of the earth suffocated. The dust churned into a sick soup of gore and ashes. None could say what happened afterwards, as the history of the Cradle's collapse could not be traced back to a window in time. A day in the life of John Doe where it took an unexpected (so true was the word!) turn for the worse and when the seeds of doom were reaped and sowed. There were theories, yes, of what may have been or what could have been: theories of anarchy among starvation, of wars with neighboring clans, of an ancient and deadly epidemic, and of civil unrest. But alas, fate would not allow such answers to be easily answered.

More so, it was never explained how the One and Many appeared before the disbanded wanderers in the wake of the disaster. Even more mind-boggling was the question that was on each and every historian's mind: why didn't He intervene? Why didn't He step in and salvage the peoples before it spiraled out of control? Why did He watch them Fall?

Perhaps, He wanted it to happen. Or perhaps, it was not His place to take action?

Nothing could be said.

The mystery that was the One and Many remained, and the world moved on.

There were other numerous sources on Him, but these yarns paled in comparison to the Rise and Fall of the Cradle. For some believed Him to be a god of neutrality, merely seeing events unfold and judging the world in preparations for the End of Days. The miracles He had been known to perform -- things the Shinobi are now able to re-enact, such as walking on water, healing the diseased, and raise nature from his beck and call -- made him renown as a benevolent factor. Though there was the slightest possibility that the One and Many was never present in the collapse, He was said to be a deity who nurtured the ninja race in their early lives, protecting them from the likes of convoluted barbarians who dare threaten the tranquility of His land.

But there was a dark side. It was a malicious light which shone on the One and Many, bleeding crimson, savoring the lustful sight of the color red and the shedding of scarlet tasting iron. On those accounts He was a hateful god, quick to temper and morbidly disturbed. He was claimed to be schizophrenic, at one point somber and arrogant, at other times insane and overflowing with wrath. A representation of anarchy, death, and sadism, He wreaked havoc on migrants through various methods of torture; physically, mentally, and spiritually. He destroyed them flawlessly and left them broken in blindingly hot fire, forsaken them with a toothy, maniacal smile as their mortal cries pierced the twilight.

He was everything good humans feared becoming.

He was everything bad humans yearned for.

He was merciless, murderous, unforgiving, horrific, terrible, and too real to be true.

And they all had one thing in common: there was no proof, no evidence, to back them up. So how could the One and Many exist when these anecdotes were put into question? How could He, a god of debatable association, live when there was next to nothing about Him? Was He truly a miraculous deity whose legacy was forgotten, or was He a fabrication given the Breath of Life by a creative, grandiose mind?

None could say.

Whoever He may be, the One and Many garnered a reputation in the non-Shinobi provinces. He had many names, names which labeled Him as _The Mist_, _The Keeper of Time_,_ The Magician_, _Father Coriander_, and _The Idealist_. However, the one title that stuck with Him throughout the Ages of Men was simply set in stone for all the world to hear.

He was called _The Enigma_.

Yes, The Enigma. For the time had finally come for the world to know the most ambiguous of questions, the most provocative of answers. Not only the world, but the Elemental Nations as a whole.

Did the One and Many, The Enigma, truly exist?

None could say, save solely for the Bearer of Truths . . .


	2. I: Black Thread of Fate

**Disclaimer :** All characters and places belong to Masashi Kishimoto, ©1999-2007. Any characters and/or locations not recognized in the _Naruto Shippuden _universe belong to Jennifer Nicole Siciliano, a/k/a Grand Phoenix.

_A/N: Second revision made June 2, 2008._

* * *

**Sparda in Colossal**

* * *

_"Avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."_  
-- Romans 12:19

_"Far from our eyes th'  
Enchanting Objects set,  
Advantage by the friendly  
Distance get."_  
-- Guillaume Alexis

* * *

**Chapter I**

** BLACK THREAD OF FATE**

* * *

**THE THREE NINJA FOLLOWED CLOSELY, AND HE LED THEM. **Deeper into the forest, they leapt from tree to tree, quickly covering the distance that lay between them and the Uchiha Estate. For lo, in due time, the abandoned grounds would breathe life once more.

And perhaps, if Fate and Destiny willed it, it would expunge life as well.

His brow furrowed and charcoal-colored eyes flared with determination.

Sasuke Uchiha, sixteen-years-old, traitor to the Hidden Village of the Leaf, leader of Team Hebi, and Last of the Uchiha, was near his boiling point. It was to the best of his ability to not show it, to avoid being questioned by his accomplices of what occurred not long ago. Nonetheless, the feelings in his heart were painstakingly raw.

Itachi, twenty-one-years-old, enemy of the Hidden Village of the Leaf, subordinate of the Red Dawn Akatsuki organization, and Executioner of the Uchiha, was not a true Uchiha. To Sasuke, his brother was no longer considered flesh and blood. Not anymore. Not after their encounter, not after slaying the entire clan, they who were family and distant relatives. For it was a crime to break a law of morality, and such things were not taken lightly in the eyes of the Uchiha. Itachi's crime, however, was a sin, for he had broken not one, not two, but _three _of those rules.

_Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you._

_You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor._

_You shall not murder._

They were ninja, yes. It was common place to defend oneself in order to survive, but to kill your family with no remorse was unforgivable. It was an act of rebellion that would land Itachi straight to hell.

_'Hell . . .' _thought the younger Uchiha, _'I've been in hell for eight years.'_

Silence prevailed.

_'Itachi . . .'_

* * *

Dark, rank, breathless; that was how the air felt. Condensation clung to their cloaks, one black with power and freedom, the other with sinister red clouds. Their _doujutsu_ the Sharingan, famed and desired throughout the Elemental Nations, bled through the gloom, three _tomoe _spinning idly in each man's irises.

In Itachi's eyes he saw the little innocent whelp whom he let live right after the massacre. It was he who told the young'in to hate him, to despise him, to taint his name. Bred this anger and consume it; become the unholy warmonger you were meant to be. Only you have the potential to defeat me, for no such person -- Uchiha or non-Uchiha -- can withstand the might of a godless messenger.

In Sasuke's eyes, he saw and felt the evil emanating from within and from without. In the face of this storm he kept calm. His chest heaved from emotions waiting to explode. One mistake would prove fatal in his quest for vengeance. If anything it would be a crime against his people to not destroy this monster. A being of flesh, bone, and blood, but with a heart as dark as midnight. Nothing could escape that black hole, reaching out with grimy hands and ripping out the soul that was humanity and filling his cup of memories with images too chilling to describe.

But no matter how much they looked alike, no matter who they came from and how much the appearance was strikingly similar, Sasuke could not look at him as a human being. He could not look at him as the child prodigy of the Uchiha clan, as the boy whom became known as the youngest ANBU Captain at thirteen, as the harbinger of the family's future, but as a demon who took the life of Shisui Uchiha and those surrounding him. Except him: the Avenger, the missing-nin, the traitor, and the last loyal member of the Uchiha namesake.

How cruel a mistress Madam Fate could be.

And Sasuke frowned at the thought.

The crow on the older Uchiha's shoulder stirred and preened its plumage. As silly as the thought was, Sasuke could bet that it was fully aware of the situation at hand. He could count on it.

His lips moved, his voice deep and rich, evenly measured and pronunciative.

"You've gotten taller," said Itachi. The line that was his mouth never faltered. "You've grown so much."

"And you haven't changed a bit." replied Sasuke. If one looked closely he could see that the young'in's chin bent an inch. It was a very minute action, one that only trained orbs could see. "Especially those merciless eyes."

_'I hate those eyes . . .'_

And Itachi tilted his head up an inch. "Aren't you going to scream out and charge straight at me like last time?"

_'I hate that face, those wrinkles, and that voice._

_'I hate him . . .'_

Sasuke snorted derisively. Itachi blinked once and laid those cursed orbs on him. Dominance was a risky game, he recalled; it should never be dealt with lightly. There was a moment to strike and a moment to defend. It was during a time of solitude that Itachi traveled into the uninhabited land beyond the Hidden Village in the Snow. While he was honing his skills he witnessed from afar a wolf pack chomping down on the remains of a bison. Two of these beasts were fighting over a leg of tendon left untouched, and it was the smaller one's growls and gnashing teeth which drew Itachi from his practice. The confrontation did not last long as the larger wolf, the alpha male, lunged at the young- 'in and pinned it to the ground with its even larger paws.

Itachi remembered doing that to Sasuke. So much could happen in three years. The question was, would Sasuke repeat the same mistake?

Said Uchiha voiced his thoughts aloud in a menacing snarl. "You know nothing about me . . ."

_'I'll kill you . . .'_

_FLASH!_

Itachi tilted his head to the left, the Sharingan's _tomoe_ spinning wildly. There he was! his black brow bristling and masculine features enlightened by indigo light. His hand drew back, lightning crackled in his palm; the cries of one thousand birds reverberated throughout the cavern.

Would he do it again?

Itachi jumped, and Sasuke fired.

_'I'll maim you, I'll break you . . .'_

The current of chakra slammed into the weasel's back, volts of electricity pulsing about him. A grunt escaped his lips, barely audible over the din of the Chidori. He flew towards the wall, higher and higher like the Morningstar tossed from the heavens. The crow squawked and fled from its perch before Itachi crashed face-first in a wall of rock and dust.

The sound was music to Sasuke's ears.

_'. . . and restore the faith and name that is Uchiha!'_

He held the Executioner by a thread of blue energy. The auras from both the _jutsu _and the Sharingan made him out to be an eerie character in shades of violet. Inside he cringed; the color only reminded him of that snake bastard, his corpse rotting in the empty lair. Sasuke didn't want to think about it. (This was more important).

His mouth curled over pink gums, revealing pearly whites. "The more hate I let into

my heart, the stronger I got. You have no idea what I'm capable of now."

Acutely aware of his surroundings, Itachi could only watch and listen. Watch for any whispers from his _otouto_, listen as the young'in snarled his conquest for power. _(Hate me, brother. Hate me and nothing more)_. The Akatsuki affiliate licked steely copper from his busted lip.

And Sasuke watched as well, watched as the demon could not move a muscle, move an inch, do nothing. It was so different this time around, so familiar and yet so perverse. It was like watching an old movie reel, the films that showed how the Leaf Village was founded, depictions of famous battles such as the Iwa-Konoha War, the life of the Fourth Hokage and other such political themes before cinematography modernized. This particular movie was digitally re-mastered with scenes not shown in theater, bonus features, and a special behind-the-scenes look in the _"Making of the Rise and Fall of Itachi Uchiha"_.

Here he was. Eyes narrowed, teeth gritted, heart ready to burst from his ribcage. His breathing harsh and hoarse, fingers itching . . . aching . . . begging . . . .

Now or never!

He squeezed those five digits into the fleshy palm of his hand. He pumped it all in his fist, every ounce, every bit, every drop of chakra. The current widened, a calamitous screech in his ears. Lightning ripped through his muscles, surging on invisible waves, white stallions rushing headlong to exact the justice processed by eight years of grief, hate, and rage.

And in that moment, as time slowed to a crawl and all sound dissipated, he knew. He knew then and he knew now, knew now that this . . . was an hour of salvation! This power -- the nectar he longed to drink since the Massacre -- was like no other! In his hand, the hand which pierced Naruto Uzumaki's lung at the Valley of the End, the hand which held the _chokuto_ stained in the blood of his enemies, was the fruit of his loins. It was the progenitor of the Cursed Seal, the Sharingan, his Uchiha roots; and what a gem it was for glory to be bestowed upon in that hand!

A triumphant grin stretched the corners of his mind. No more would Itachi belittle him of his strength! No more would he be haunted by the guilt gnawing his very sanity, his embattled soul! No more would he be terrorized by the past brought upon by the Tsukuyomi, those images of butchered corpses, the scarlet moon and the lifestain splattered across his parents' bedroom floorboards, distorting his way of life! The paradox was there, but Sasuke would be able to reverse it. To do so, it would be in the rite of shedding skin and bone, into the very heart of the Vermillion Bird . . . .

And in that moment he thought, what would _that man_ think of his prowess now?

Time returned followed by a loud meaty _SPLASH_. Blood spilled from open wounds as the Chidori fragmented and burrowed further in and around the raven-haired man. It was only when Sasuke sensed the last grains of chakra deplete did he cut the flow of energy from his circulatory system. He lowered his arm and proceeded at a slow, somber gait, his face a blank slate of snow as Itachi Uchiha plummeted back to earth.

He was unaware of his foot stepping in a gory track until too late. He flickered a glance at the prints he left behind. He resisted the urge to grimace. He pushed away resurfacing memories and fought the shudder riding up his spine. He would show no weakness, no fear, in the wake of what might be the most climatic war he had ever endured. So much training he partook under Orochimaru's tutelage, and he learned much over the years.

But where did Itachi's strength lay in the midst of everything? How much did he gain in return?

The next minute would be for all or for naught.

He stopped beside the older man's body and wandered his icy glare over the still form. Itachi did not stir from the deepest sleep nor did he groan with the slightest tinge of exasperation as he would ought do in a forgotten past. The tic beneath his left eyeball did not croak. The line of his lips looked more dead than any encounter the Avenger ever witnessed.

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

Sasuke frowned. Was that it? Was that all Itachi had to offer? No mind-numbing torture? No extraordinary pain from the searing heat of Amaterasu? No terror sluicing through every pore in his body under the paralysis of the Sharingan?

Pathetic.

_'What a waste of time.'_

Sasuke clicked his tongue, placing a hand on the _chokuto's _hilt. To think that all this time he was fighting a losing battle, he was given the opportunity to finish off the thorn in his side, the bane of his existence, in one fell swoop. He almost couldn't believe it would end this quickly.

_'I've had enough of you, demon . . .'_

Beneath the cloak his thumb pressed on the _tsuba_. A click resounded as the _habaki _unlocked and revealed itself, the gold centerpiece lost in folds of darkness.

"Just go to hell and die." A coarse, hollow whisper. His right hand twitched to life--

--and Itachi's red orbs gleaned from the depths of unconsciousness. Black-rimmed, matured, and wrinkles accentuated, they stared back at him with a madness capable of bringing the most strong-willed men and women to their knees.

Sasuke was too shocked to do so.

"You have . . . gotten . . . m-much . . . stronger . . ." Even after taking a pulp from the Chidori the bastard still spoke like a true gentleman. The man was a riot!

He coughed, spattering a crimson mosaic on his chin. His eyes did not leave the youth's frozen gaze. "F-foolish little br-brother . . . . y-you do not disappoint m-me."

Whether or not Sasuke heard the man was unknown. He was still rooted to the ground in shell-shocked disbelief.

Itachi grunted. His sight vanished beneath his eyelids, a heavy sigh escaping alabaster lips born on the Face of God. That sound jerked Sasuke from his trance, and when he blinked away the uninvited daze he had to stop himself from jumping out of his skin.

Itachi was gone.

_'. . . the hell?'_

In his place was a pile of black feathers. Alarm bells went off; he snapped his head back and beheld a sight so surreal that the air seemed netherworldly. Ravens and crows screeched and cackled, their pinions caught in a blizzard of ash. And in the midst of this storm stood a lonely boy, his life altered in the wake of tragedy. A boy who became a man and did not put his back to the paper fan, his last connection to a society erased from history in the form of their own kin.

This was not the way the world ended, but it did.

The weasel's baritone voice shook the walls of the barren lair. The flock of birds made for the cavern's entrance, their cries unable to drown the ultimatum from Sasuke's ears.

_"Come to the Uchiha Estate alone. We will end this there, my little Avenger . . ."_

Silence settled. Sasuke was oblivious to the muscles moving in his face, painting a portrait that was all too familiar to those who knew him. It was a picture which spoke on so many levels, and yet, whenever he looked himself over, it was as empty as a map of the former Hidden Haze Village.

But one thing was made clear: Itachi saw him fit for the long-awaited fight, deemed him competent to cross paths and resolve the war in the name of power, honor, and dignity.

How it pained him so.

_'Mother . . . . Father . . . . Shisui . . . . . Everyone . . . .'_

He would pray for the strength of his ancestors and forefathers. He would pray for Fortune to reward him in his shining moment of victory. He would pray to any unseen, hidden deity to lift the burden from his soul. He would pray to any devil to reserve a special seat for Itachi upon his arrival to the lowest circle of hell.

"Sasuke!"

He didn't need to feel out their chakra signatures. Eyes hardening at the two Shinobi and single Kunoichi, he asked, "Didn't I tell you guys to stay put until I give the signal?"

Suigetsu Hozuki, the one who let cry his leader's name, stepped forward, _sake _bottles filled with water swishing in his utility belt. He grinned, as was his nature of an elated killer, showing off two rows of white, needle-sharp teeth. "Karin said she felt someone else's chakra in here, so we got a little worried."

"Did you now?" Sasuke muttered, turning his head to get a better glance at the scarlet-haired chakra specialist. She was standing alongside Juugo, a burly man of astute standard, staring wide-eyed and open-mouthed at the drifting feathers. Though Karin was startled by the state of affairs, Juugo was her complete opposite, his posture and aura relaxed.

Sasuke could not blame them for not knowing Itachi, but he figured in the long run the time would come to put their abilities to the test.

Suigetsu nodded. "What do you suggest we do?"

_'I'm so glad you asked.'_

Team Hebi's leader whirled around, cloak flowing behind him in a promenade. His feet crunched beneath flaking plumage like ash sprinkled on rice paper. He looked to each member, the former patients of Orochimaru's heinous experiments.

"Let's go . . . . Follow me."

* * *

And here they were, drawing ever closer to Destiny. The four-man cell had a fair amount of distance to cover, but Sasuke didn't care. He had been waiting for a chance to appear before him since the Massacre, so why rush? Doing so would only hasten the inevitable. It would close doors that would never be opened again.

But he had to suppress the demon thirsting for revenge. He decided long ago that he would make Itachi suffer. He would deliver swift judgment to the man and bring upon him a pain that would stay with him beyond the afterlife.

For lo, as ancient law dictated, an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

_'Just you wait, Itachi,' _he bitterly remarked. _'You will pay for your sins.'_

Their journey continued without a word. Their expectant footfalls on and off tree branches and the howl of the tailwind were the only sounds heard within the area. It was during one point in time that Karin was pondering something of an unknown nature. Curtained by fiery tresses and glasses, she was lost in her own world. From his vantage point it was Juugo who saw her mouth curve downward and the beads of sweat dotting her forehead.

"What is wrong, Karin?" he asked, concern laced in his voice. "You seem agitated."

She spared him a sideways glance, spectacles sliding down her nose. "There's a bunch of people with identical chakra all around us!" she huffed. "What the hell is this?!"

"Are these the same people you've felt earlier? The ones with the dog?"

She pushed up her glasses. "I don't know, but it's possible they're one and the same."

"One and the same, huh?" Suigetsu softly murmured to himself. He dropped speed, joining Karin's side several feet behind her. "Should we take another route, Sasuke?"

"Ignore it." Sasuke replied. "We'll charge straight through." His attention was focused solely on the path ahead.

He heard the swordsman breathe an easy sigh. "Thank God. Detours always wipe me out."

_'Don't get too comfortable, Suigetsu.'_ thought Sasuke. _'It'll be a while before we get there.'_

He blinked. He did not know that this action Fate had another hurdle for him to cross. In the time it took for him to realize this revelation, it was by a margin of a second to notice the person crouched sixteen yards from his position.

Wild sun-kissed hair, whiskers etched on tan cheeks, black and orange attire screaming diversity to the greens and browns of the forest . . . .

_'You . . .'_

His feet hit the thick stubby branch, a hollow gong exploding in his ears. Sending more chakra to his lower calves, he leaned over the edge and rocketed off the limb. The world was quelled of its tranquility, the Chidori roaring with angry shrieks.

He clenched his fingers . . .

_'I thought I told you . . .'_

. . . reared his fist back . . . .

_'. . . not to . . .'_

Onyx portals met oceanic irises.

_'. . . INTERFERE!'_

_"SASUKE!!"_

. . . and struck!

_BAM!_

His hand went through the Jinchuuriki's solar plexus. Sasuke broke away, leaving behind a cloud of smoke.

Karin shook her head furiously, spittle flying everywhere. "Wh-wh-what the . . ?! . . . What the fuck!?"

"A Shadow Clone . . ." Suigetsu noted.

_'Naruto . . . He never gives up . . .' _ Sasuke swallowed the sour taste in his mouth. Why was that idiot so intent on bringing him back? Didn't he understand the purpose he was given? Didn't he understand that _bastard _was still on the loose?!

. . . No. Of course he didn't.

_'Stubborn fool . . .'_ He cocked an eye to his squad. "Let's pick up the pace!"

Karin muttered obscenely under her breath. Juugo nodded and Suigetsu snickered. Sasuke grunted and led the trio deeper into the woods embracing the land of Fire Country.

* * *

At twelve-twenty in the afternoon, one-and-a-half kilometers from the rendezvous point and two miles out from the nearest town, Team Seven member Sakura Haruno -- medic-nin and apprentice of Tsunade the Fifth Hokage of Konoha -- heard the message. She had been patrolling the perimeter of the open grasslands with two of Kakashi-sensei's _ninken_ when three of the most profound words in the Modern language were relayed over her wireless headset.

_"I've found him!"_

That made her heart skip more than just a beat. She literally dropped from the air, stumbling to her feet and turning her head about in all directions. Did she hear correctly? Did Naruto just say he found Sasuke? Countless thoughts flooded in her mind like a sluice gate. Where did he see him? Did he feel his chakra signature or did he spot him from afar? Was the girl from the village with him? Where was he going? Why did he leave? Why was he searching for power?

Such insight made her lightheaded, and Sakura forced herself to stop thinking about the possibilities that may have occurred in the passing time. After spending a couple minutes recovering from the shock she searched for Naruto's chakra signature, which did not take long considering the amount of energy contained inside the seal hosting Kyuubi the Nine-Tailed Fox. After pinpointing her teammate's location, she herded the ninja hounds and followed the invisible trail at breakneck speed.

Faster and faster did she cross the countryside, moving with the momentum of quicksilver. She was one with the wind, a breeze roaming so freely and ecstatically that not even the gods themselves could prevent her from reaching her goal. She moved with the grace of a gazelle, a mosaic of colors and words and metaphors strung with poetic analogies and haiku. The two _ninken _had difficulty keeping up with her, pushed to the limit.

"Oi, Sakura-chan, slow down! You're goin' too fast!" cried the spiky-haired dog.

"Yeah, girlie!" said the other hound. "Wait fer us!"

But their demands went on deaf ears.

Five minutes later, the three ninja were met with the other Shinobi in the reconnaissance group. Sai, Yamato, Shino, Kakashi-sensei, Hinata; they were all there with Kiba (atop his dog, Akamaru) and Naruto in the lead. The Inuzuka boy was congratulating the blonde on his find.

"Way to go, Naruto! Which way?"

Naruto leapt across a line of branches, landing on a sprig of an unusually large birch. "Follow me!"

And thus, the eight Shinobi and nine dogs gave chase. Sakura remained in the middle of the pack between Hinata and Sai, her mind detached and her body propelling her on its own. She couldn't believe this was actually happening, that they were so close to catching Sasuke. Despite the order Kakashi-sensei had given to only locate the whereabouts of Akatsuki or the missing-nin she hoped that, in some way, they would bring Sasuke back into the fold of the Leaf Village. Though he would be charged for disobeying his superiors' commands, Sakura would be able to rest more peacefully at night, knowing his safety was ensured.

_'Whether you like it or not, we'll fight this battle together,' _she thought stoically. _'You don't have to do this alone, Sasuke. Your struggles are our struggles.'_

But was it really her struggle? Notwithstanding, why was she so adamant about making it _her_ personal struggle? She knew full well (and perhaps Ino knew, too) that her _love _for Sasuke Uchiha was a complete act, a façade she donned to know more about him. About the Massacre, about that _certain man_, about his hidden anguish, anything that would make him open up and talk to her. But she realized on the night he defected Konoha he didn't want anyone to know his conflictions. Not her, not Naruto, not Kakashi-sensei . . . _no one_. For it was he whom Itachi let lived and it would be he who would overthrow his tyranny without the help from his motherland.

. . . She felt so useless, more useless than the times Team Seven went on their missions. More useless than the times she stood there doing nothing urging _Sasuke-kun _to save the day and not the _Kyuubi brat_. More useless than the times Naruto and Sasuke fought to the death. More useless than the times she did _everything wrong._

Her feet touched the bough.

Her gaze cast downward, shadowed by vibrant pink hair.

A frown marred her lips, a sense of weariness overwhelming her.

_"If only . . . I had known better. If only . . . . I had been a better person . . . ."_

She jumped--

--and the world went black.

_'What the--?!'_

Time came to a halt, and Sakura hung over a direction-less, bottomless, idea-less realm of unseen, unheard darkness. Motion ceased to be and the Leaf Kunoichi froze -- somewhere in mid-air, somewhere on the ground, somewhere but not there, somewhere but anywhere, who knew? She was a marionette entangled in a choking grip, suspended in a void imaginable and unthinkable.

And in the darkest corner of her mind, something awoke. Something stirred, something _crawled _. . . something primal . . .

Sakura began to _fear._

_'What . . . what's happening?!'_

There came a muffled sound, echoing from everywhere and nowhere. It was growing deafeningly louder and louder by the second. It was getting harder to hear, harder to think, harder to comprehend . . . !

Her ears pounded. Her heart rattled in its cage . . .

_'What's going on?!'_

Closer . . . closer . . . !

She wanted to close them, close her eyes, brace the impact, embrace the unknowable . . . !

. . . but she could not.

_'. . . Ahhhh--!'_

It came.

It was unlike anything Sakura had ever seen.

Images, that was what they were. They were images -- simple moments, strange moments, serious moments, life-changing moments, sad moments, happy moments, unavoidable moments. Sakura saw her life flash before her eyes. Moving at impossible speeds, moving faster than the speed of sound, of light, in the batting of a lash. But she saw them all in crystal clarity, polished mirrors with nary rust, mold, or imperfection. Mesmerized, she looked upon herself in every incarnation, every phase of life and maturity.

Her first birthday.

The red bow.

Her first kunai.

Her first friend Ino.

The boy. Black hair. Dark eyes. Scowl. Sasuke Uchiha. Last of the Uchiha.

Playing with Ino. Arguing with Ino. Fighting over Sasuke. Jealousy, rivalry, hate.

Another boy. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Whiskers. Sadness. Tears.

Naruto. Kyuubi. Pariah. Monster. _Demon._

Ninja Academy. Five years.

Pain. Arguing. Admiring. Avoiding. Clueless. _Vague._

Genin Exams. Kakashi-sensei. Bell test. Illusion. Sucess.

Wave Country.

Haku. Zabuza. Sasuke. Naruto. Kyuubi.

Her goal. Protect Tazuna. Do nothing. See nothing. _Rooted to the ground._

Chuunin Exams. Sand Siblings. Gaara. Shukaku.

Fighting the One-Tail. Failure. Pain. Crushing. Agony. _Darkness_.

Orochimaru. Lord Hokage. Death. Funeral. Black. Rain.

Itachi. Sasuke. Defection. Helpless. Cursed Mark. Power.

Greed. Lust. _Power._

Slugging Naruto. Blind-siding Naruto.

Tsunade-sensei. Training. Apprentice. Sannin.

Three years.

Akatsuki.

Sasuke.

Akatsuki.

Naruto.

Recon.

The girl.

_Ninken._

Lost.

Worldly.

Thoughtful.

_"I've found him!"_

_'If only . . . if only . . . if only . . .'_

A throbbing pain. Confusion. Why?

A pinprick of white, a star in space. Sakura mused. Light? _Light?_

_'. . . Sakura.'_

She gasped.

The world returned to its original state, a muggy landscape of perspective, supplementary angles, and linearity. Sakura stumbled to her feet, clutching her head as a tide of vertigo washed over her. Her vision swam and nausea crept up her spine in slow strides. One iris closed under pressure.

_'What just happened?' _she breathed; it came out in ragged pants. _'Th-that voice . . . The light . . . Why do I feel so small? So--'_

"Sakura?"

She looked up and saw Hinata on the adjacent woodlord, resplendent in her russet robe and long violet hair. Her pale orbs shone with worry.

"A-are you alright?" she said. "I n-noticed you weren't f-following us, so I went to go l-look for you."

Sakura waved a hand at Hinata dismissively. "I-I'm okay. Really. Just had a li'l spell, is all."

The Hyuuga girl cocked her head to the side. "Are you sure? Y-you don't look so good. . ."

"I'm f-fine." Sakura lied. "Really." She opened her eye and straightened her posture, giving the Team Eight member a reassuring smile. In reality, white-hot rivers coursed through every part of her body. Her stomach lurched and her head spun with the slightest movement. Her knees buckled and a massive weight burdened her shoulders, as if the laws of physics wanted to drag her to the forest floor. In short, Sakura felt like _hell._ Telling the recon team would delay their mission. What would they say when she told them exactly what happened?

"But S-Sakura--"

"Don't worry about it. Let's just catch up with the others before we lose them."

Hinata opened her mouth to speak, but at Sakura's piercing gaze thought better of it. She nodded, turned around, and hopped back into the foliage. Sakura trailed behind her, releasing a mental breath. That was a close call! She hadn't realized time outside the void was still moving, oblivious to her teammates becoming dark specks in the distance. And what a peculiar occurrence it was! She didn't even know where to start explaining all of this.

But that voice . . . what was that? It was a rough whisper, smooth and tender like fine wine. In the nothingness within it was loud and sublime, as if it had discovered the most beautiful gem in the world. Who did it belong to? Did the voice belong to an enemy, one who was not detected by Akamaru and Kiba? Did this enemy decide to cast a Genjutsu on her, to see how it worked? Who was this person (if it _was_ a person, she wondered)? Why was she trapped in the void?

And the light, yes, the light . . . She saw something in the light. Something far and green and bright and . . . and . . .

Sakura shook her head. This wasn't going to solve anything. Plus, the mission was more important. The quicker they sought out Sasuke and his platoon, the quicker she would sit down and maybe -- just maybe -- speak to someone who _might _have an idea as to what was going on . . .

* * *

Pein was contemplating.

He had been staring at the objects on the table for a while. His eyes -- twin black holes circled by perfect orbital rings -- wandered from one artifact to the other, humming as he studied them with archaeological precision. He had searched long and hard for these ageless wonders, back in the day before Akatsuki was formed, before the Civil Wars, before he found Enlightenment and became himself. These were things that he had never once laid eyes on even after he dug, opened, or stole them, for they were in shapes unlike any normal shape in the Elemental Nations.

He reached for the first object of interest. His fingers laced onto the pebbled bronze chain and brought the medallion to his face. Carved into it was a five-pointed star. There were symbols etched on the spaces in between, depicting the cycles of the sun and the moon. At the very top space above the star's point was a picture of both satellites merged as one.

He rubbed his padded digits along the medallion, hard as copper and dim with grime. He turned the relic over and looked at the symbol. If he remembered correctly, it was an ancient character for _satori_**(1)**_._

He found the necklace, ironically, in the Hidden Village of the Star. There were rumors throughout Waterfall Country of an unusual chakra signature radiating at the bottom of the crater, where the meteor hit the once uninhabited Bear Country. From Taki he returned to Ame, switched bodies and made straight for Hoshi. At his descent he saw the Training Center where Shinobi meditated to enhance their abilities. After an unsuccessful mind sweep of the strange aura, Pein concentrated on separating the individual energies. In a manner of minutes he uncovered the spot where the signature originated: right near the Training Center's entrance. Quietly and hastily he dug out the medallion, taking a moment to examine it fully before pocketing it in his robe. Just seconds later, a ninja walked out of the building and noticed him.

Pein killed him and all within the structure before the words of warning left the man's mouth.

That was eight years ago when it was just him, Konan, Zetsu, Sasori, Orochimaru, and Tobi (though none knew save he and his partner). Last he heard about Hoshi was that the investigation was still on-going.

He hummed again, nodding at the memory. He set the medallion back on the table, then turned to regard the oddly-shaped crystal laying on its side.

When he looked at it the first time, he was at a loss as to what shape the gem furnished. The closest thing that came to mind was a falcon diving, wings drawn back and two feathery appendages sticking out of its sloped crown. A coat of heavenly gold shone in the dim light, sometimes glimmering in midnight's cloak when the day's frequent riots assuaged. There were streaks of jet stone along the crystal's vertices, and its edges were flecked, literally, in dried blood.

Its beauty had come with a terrible price. Before war broke out between Cloud and Leaf, Zetsu had confirmed a Jinchuuriki sighting at a Rokudoist church situated twelve miles southeast from Lightning Country's capitol. At this news Tobi ordered Pein to infiltrate and subdue the Demon Jailor. The catch was that he accomplish the mission as soon as possible, for it seemed only a matter of days before the populace severed the link between peace and war. He arrived three days later and staked out another double before he caught sight of a strange glow. What he saw inside through his Shadow Clone was sickening, but he summed it up in two words: human sacrifice. A gaggle of Cloud ninja, chanting in brainwashed psycho babble, their leader wide-eyed and insane. In his hand was the crystal, and on a stone altar was Yugito Nii the Nekomata Container.

_'As soon as possible, Nagato. The clouds will rain red and the leaves shall stain the earth in their sorrows. Go, boy, for hell will be raised!'_ With Tobi's parting words ringing in his ear, Pein ambushed the church and slew cult. Drenched in gore he took the tainted relic and assessed the damages done on the vessel. Fortunately the Jinchuuriki was unconscious and nothing was broken. Though the question of the ritual and her appearance, Pein concluded it would be unjust for him to capture Yugito Nii in the state she was in. Rather he fight a living demon than a dead one.

When he returned he (falsely) explained the events to his superior, weaving a tale of how the Demon Jailor escaped his grasp when Cloud ninja felt his chakra signature from his hiding spot in the trees. Tobi had bought into it (Pein hoped he did), but left with him a cautionary note to be more subtle next time.

Pein was thankful for that warning, and even more thankful Tobi didn't see the crystal. As the two nations pushed and shoved for dominance, he had been studying his Scriptures for the object's purpose. His research came up short six years later, but he had written his theories and notations in a summoning scroll. He believed that those who tapped into the crystal's innate power were driven to the point of losing moral value and, possibly, their sentience. Its edges may have been used as some sort of sun dial. They could have been crafted to locate specific constellations, or they may had been made to be an outlet supplying energy to a lost civilization. But what of the crystal's setbacks?

He shifted his orbs to the jagged anomaly on the leftmost side of the table. This was more worn than the two objects. It seemed to be hammered from bronze, but its touch was startlingly reminiscent to stone. A thorough inspection showed markings of an enraged ocean, wisps of clouds, and a symbol of arcane origin on the front of the artifact. Very faint, but it would suffice.

He had found the dodecahedron in the mountains of Vegetable Country in his search for Enlightenment. Pein -- then Nagato -- found himself lost in a labyrinth of caverns. He had been searching for a way out of the darkness when he came across an azure chest sitting in the corner of a dead end. When he opened it, it held a broken half of the spherical object, holes of various sizes hollowed out of the metal. Questions engulfed him, each trying to fill in the gaps of the mystery, but to no avail could he answer them.

It made sense to him when he placed the faux falcon in the center of the dodecahedron. He wasn't quite sure how it did, but something clicked inside him, a firmer piece of Truth settled in a cosmic jigsaw puzzle spanning through countless galaxies. He knew then there was a connection between these items, a link buried in meta-memory. He was only a few steps behind. He could do it! Assimilation was not far away.

Pein wanted to smile. Oh so dearly did he wish to show his pride and dream. He could not, for there remained one last thorn in his side.

His forefinger trailed down the broken blade, wary of its notched wounds along the edges. Dull and grey was the steel, its fuller scratched and the grip wrapped in a hard bed of moss. The hilt was hardly a thing to be supported, twisted like an brittle skeleton; and the pommel was reprieved of its gemstone.

It was a surprise the blade even held together. Five days ago he was on his way to the Hidden Rain, done with his training and meditation for the day, when he passed through a run-down village. The name escaped him, but he was certain from the architecture and crumbling statues it was once a highly established city-state. Laying amidst the rubbish and debris he wondered why such an uncommon sword was used in a world where kunai, shuriken, and _katana_ were frequent. Nevertheless, Pein took it with him. He hadn't read the entirety of the Scriptures, so perhaps it would do some good to get back into it and seek the weapon's purpose.

Pein withdrew his hand, listening to unabated curtains of rain pounding on reinforced steel rooftops and Plexiglas windows. He glanced to and fro at his room, barren of any furnishing save the six cryogenic pods, an oak work desk, a wall containing unlabeled _Jutsu_ scrolls, and the Scriptures.

Ame's _de facto _leader frowned at the enormous tome in the corner, metaphorical gears and a clockwork orange churning water, oil, and steam in industrial factories. _'There is still much more to do before I can proceed with the next phase. If I don't find the other half of the box in time, I'll have to either look back in the Scriptures or, Gods forbid, consult with Kakaeru.'_

Pein sighed through his nostrils. None knew of his quest, his forbidden sanctum. Not even Konan and Tobi were aware of his secret whimsy. He wanted to keep it that way. It was only him, the Scriptures, and Kakaeru. If his plan on capturing all nine Bijuu somehow backfired (the key word was _somehow)_, at least he had _this _to keep him on his path.

"I will cleanse the world of its malevolence." He strolled over to the glassy barrier, staring out into a water-soaked nation locked in battle and death. It was a pointless dichotomy, this concept of shedding lifestains and declaring martial law. What sense was there to fight, to succumb to the inner beast and survive off negative wavelengths of hate and vengeance?

A waste of time and air. That was all this philosophic war was; pointless, useless, and senseless in every sense of the word.

"If not by the Will of God, then by Man himself shall he let the meek Fall."

Yes, Assimilation would fix _that . . ._

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Valley of the End, there sat a man on the statue of Madara Uchiha. Among the bright hues of open grassland and rocky terrace, he was an epitome of twilight. His _kasa _lay next to him and his robe swirled about his gangly, lithe frame. His lone eye, covered by a spiraling orange mask, gazed at the mound of soil cupped in the palm of his hand. A breeze ruffled his shock of ashen grey hair, but all he sought was a wisp of earth dust vanishing from the center of the universe, into the unknown.

"Truth, knowledge, and belief . . . These are the threads which bind society as a whole. In religion, in politics, in nature, in mind . . . they are everywhere. Whether we accept them or outright refuse them, these key elements are nigh infinitesimal. That which becomes history is set in stone. That which become signs is written in blood.

"Adhering to these laws, however, is as flawed as the Cradle itself. Knowledge is fallible, a tool to be played! What enforces our faith? Our beliefs? Our presence in this world? Without truth we become lost of our true origins. The memory burns, but the lies burn even greater. If we are to put this in introspect, would it not be tantamount? Would it not set the lands ablaze?

"Such are the inner workings of petty mortals." He tipped his hand, granules of Gaia spilling from his clasp. The man looked to the sky, a sea of royal blue. "For yea, my children, the world is vast. More wide and round than this decaying scar! More cultured than any warped ideology and radical doctrine imaginable!

"Yes . . . The Truth is unconquerable. What cannot be Shown must be Made." Beneath his mask Tobi grinned wickedly, and his Sharingan flared a ruddy red beacon . . .

* * *

**(1)** A Japanese Buddhist term for 'enlightenment'. The word literally means 'understanding'.


	3. II: Esoteric Harmonic

**Disclaimer :** All characters and places belong to Masashi Kishimoto, ©1999-2008. Any characters and/or locations not recognized in the _Naruto Shippuden _universe belong to Jennifer Nicole Siciliano, a/k/a Grand Phoenix.

_A/N: Revised July 11, 2008._

* * *

_"What can we gain by sailing to the moon if we are not able to cross the abyss that separates us from ourselves? This is the most important of all voyages of discovery, and without it, all the rest are not only useless, but disastrous."_  
-- Thomas Merton

* * *

**Chapter II**

** ESOTERIC HARMONIC**

* * *

**TODAY WAS JUST NOT HIS DAY.**

He didn't want this to happen. He didn't _want _to see _that face_ again. The last time Sasuke Uchiha looked upon Naruto Uzumaki was in a crater not far from the Heaven and Earth Bridge, suppressing the Kyuubi no Youko's chakra with his Sharingan in the vessel's mindscape. He _wanted_ to pick them all off -- Naruto and Sakura and Sai and Kakashi and that other guy, just so they didn't keep fucking up his training with Orochimaru and search for _that weasel._ If he had it his way he would have killed them, crush them to pieces like the autumn leaves they were.

The Snake Sannin convinced him otherwise. Told him to let them have their slim pickings, bring down the Akatsuki's numbers one by one. The less Itachi has with him, the less you have to worry about. Do whatever you like to him. Don't worry about the others, you can hit 'em later.

That was a long time ago. Had it been weeks, months, years even, since he said that?

Sasuke didn't know and didn't care. May Orochimaru burn in hell. (But never fret, you'll join soon, Itachi. You scum).

But now he _knew_ Uzumaki was catching up to him, and he _cared_ not to bust his ass shirking the Demon Jailor and his troupe. Fates be damned, why couldn't he be stronger?!

He blew out his cheeks. _'Relax, Uchiha. Don't get carried away. What would be the best course of action? Risking a fight with Naruto would delay my arrival, and simply throwing shuriken and kunai, let alone jutsu, would only slow us down.'_

He leapt, and the wind hissed with an arrow's vengeance. He gritted his teeth.

_'One thing's for sure: I ain't stoppin' for nothin'. So . . .'_

"Sasuke!" Karin; what did she want? "Are we just gonna keep running away from 'em? D'you think we can avoid them forever? 'Course not. God knows what'll happen if they catch up."

"She's got a point, Sasuke," interceded Suigetsu. "Shit's gonna get a lot worse if we tangle with them."

Juugo remained silent, eyes front and center. He was never one to talk much.

_'That's true,'_ Snake's leader affirmed, _'Fighting them when we're almost at the Estate is much too costly to perform. I don't have enough time to make this decision. What do I do . . . ?'_

Then it came to him, a raising of muscles surrounding ebony portals. None saw it, but Sasuke wished for all the world to have a mirror, see his reflection appeal to this sudden revelation with the odd sort of triumph psychopaths experienced when accomplishing a task his warped mind can sprout.

Gods, why didn't he think of this before? But I digress, it was a brilliant idea!

"Fall back," came the stone cold command. It was an iron hammer to the chest.

_"What?"_ exclaimed Karin. Suigetsu was taken aback -- whether by his leader's order or his teammate's outburst it was uncertain. Even Juugo could not suppress the alarm flaring inside him. "Are you out of your mind?! We can't fall back! Those Shinobi are right behind us!"

"That's the _point_," Sasuke intoned. _"We_ fall _back_."

Silence reigned for several tense seconds. It took a while for her to put together the pieces, to understand what his words meant, but realization soon set in. "Wait! Y-you mean, you want us, _us_ to--?"

"Exactly."

"Well it's about time! I'm getting bored of this cat and mouse game!" (In the back of their minds, Suigetsu and Juugo -- yes, Juugo -- found that Sasuke was very lucky. _Very_ _lucky_ being granted because Karin's expression was downright outrageous: head tossed back, teeth clashing, fingers curled and _steam_ flaring out her nostrils. She almost _fit_ the description of a _dragon_, and that in itself was hard to imagine . . .)

Scratch that: Sasuke was _damn_ lucky. Because of him they had indirectly agreed on something most passing acquaintances would not. That, too, was karma.

"Then maybe this will do you some good," said the Uchiha scion. Still, the thought that Karin of all people would be the one to carry out his plan irked him. Despite her allegiance to the deceased snake man she was extremely trustworthy. Her abilities with chakra were indistinguishable, sharp and refined as the tip of a single-edged sword, and her reach**(1)** had to be twice the average ninja's length (_'Half a diameter of a kilometer-wide circumference according to Ninja Academy textbooks,'_ he recalled). Her reliability, however, towards strategy and authority was something he had to put to question.

Of course, he could always pick one of the other two, but there lay the problems. Juugo was compliant but seemed more interested to follow than to lead, and Suigetsu would be a great choice if it wasn't for his sadism . . .

His train of thought halted at the sound of Karin's yelling. "Damn right it will! Just say when!" At this Suigetsu regarded the specialist with a confounded look, arching what little eyebrows he had. Juugo grimaced.

Another leap, another branch. Hear the hawk's cry.

"Do whatever you can to stop them," he told her, eyes hardening. "Leave no quarter."

She pumped her fist in the air. "Right! Let's go, boys!" Her feet braced the limb then, acting on inertia and force of tightening chakra, blasted into a thicket of spruce trees, leaves and energy residue fluttering in the wind. Behind Sasuke, Suigetsu voiced his distaste before jumping through the foliage, Juugo bringing up the rear.

Soon the influence of nature returned, pristine in birdsong and wildlife. The familiarity gave off a strange aura, an abyss stretching wider and plunging deeper into darkness with each passing second. It spread from a leak without puncture and engulfed his sense of being, but as prideful as he was Sasuke pushed it to the back of his mind where it listlessly lingered.

Nothing would hold him back. He believed Karin would fulfill his duty with all the gusto and impatience she could muster. It was the only hope he had, aside from the point that the time had come to set in stone the guilty verdict the heavens bequeathed upon Itachi Uchiha's head. Let slip the dogs of war, for the conflict was a motif as old as the beginning of days.

Brother against Brother. A tale of many whispers, many tears, and many emotions.

Cain and Abel. An age when blood spilled and sin prospered. Itachi was undoubtedly Cain . . . but what then was Sasuke Uchiha?

His sword rang, his hands ached, but most of all his heart pounded. It would only be a matter of time before Judgment came to pass.

"Beware, Itachi," growled the Avenger. "I'm coming."

* * *

Green. Green was everywhere. There was so much of it: green grass, green leaves, green moss. One would think Sakura was uncomfortable of having to travel in endless timberland after her bizarre encounter, but in fact it was quite the opposite. She had set aside the uncanny thoughts of being a victim of Genjutsu and other likely scenarios, the forefront of her concentration on the chase unfolding before her.

Though it was hard to see him, being at the back and whatnot, Sakura observed Naruto in the study of science in action. His mantle flapped about him, his orange and black attire rippling like water undulating from a skipping rock, and his crop of hair rolled in a sea of liquid amber. His sun-kissed complexion brought out the colors of the copse, of life without danger; and Sakura believed she saw an angel flying into battle, arms held out in the image of pearly white wings.

_'I never dreamed of coming this far,'_ mused the Leaf Kunoichi. _'All this time I deemed it impossible finding you. The Valley of the End, the Heaven and Earth Bridge . . . whether by a stroke of Fate or your own will, you managed to avoid us. You've vanished from history, but now we've got you. We can finally put an end to this chase. We can put an end to Akatsuki, to Itachi. To power, because it only leads to terrible things.'_

And such terrible memories did she behold, washed asunder like flotsam on a tide of breakers. There were a few people she knew who had fallen to the grips of greed, but even then it was difficult keeping track of the traitors and missing-nin going on the rise in Konoha. More so, it made it that much worse understanding the Uchiha progeny.

A common factor in achieving power was revenge, often found in war and blood feuds. It was a devastating blow to the populace when word came the morning after the Massacre, that the evidence scrutinized by the ANBU Black Ops and medic-nin coroners pointed to the most unlikely suspect of the crime. When his name was announced at the Village Council, and later the general mass, a wave of shock and confusion rendered the peoples speechless. They couldn't believe, couldn't comprehend why the Uchiha heir, the First Son of Fugaku, would commit such an act. Others tried to question the perplexity of the situation (_'How could he do such a thing? How could this happen? What drove him to kill? Why didn't we see the signs?'_), but nothing could be made of Itachi's sin.

In one night, ninety-eight percent of the Konoha Military Police Force was wiped out.

In one night, an innocent boy's Will of Fire was extinguished. The Village grieved of their tremendous loss.

The next morning Itachi was proclaimed a _nukenin_ and Sasuke Uchiha, seven-years-old and drained of life, became an Avenger.

Back then, Sakura knew something was wrong. She knew of the Massacre, of the Last Uchiha, of the tears spilled unto a land bereft of its namesake. She knew something had changed in the boy, knew that the top of the class was suddenly cold and deathly quiet. It was then she wanted to learn and console him, extricate and provide him a sense of comfort, unaware of the rude awakening obsession had the further she delved into the mystery.

It was history in the making, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

_'Sasuke . . . . whatever you do, don't fight alone.'_ (She watches as Uzumaki and Uchiha charge forward, Rasengan in Naruto's hand, Chidori screeching in Sasuke's. Her pupils shrink to pinpoints in willow green eyes . . .)_ 'You are more than one and the last.'_

_(He smiles at her honesty, her concerns, her worries, and passion; he thanks her for everything as she falls for the ground and into his arm, his hand dropping limply to his side.)_

It was a missing piece in the Jungian jigsaw puzzle.

_'Sasuke . . .'_

_**TH-THUMP.**_

Her breath hitched at the base of her throat. Her heart ceased beating as the forest pulsed and throbbed and doubled. She felt something inside her, something which grabbed at the strings of her frozen core and pulled with firm, warm fingers. Panic surged and the coffee ground taste of bile bubbled at the tip of her tongue.

She opened her mouth; speak, scream, cry, yell . . . anything! She tried to form the words, force them out, but nothing came from the Konoha Chuunin. Nothing but a hoarse stutter escaped.

_'W-what is this?'_ Sakura willed her hands to move; they merely twitched and spasm. _'I-I can't move. I can't breathe. Breathe, Sakura! Breathe!'_

And just when she was about to black out, a ray of sunlight hit her square in the eye.

"Shit!" Her vision was washed in white. Sakura blinked rapidly at the gathering dark spots, rubbing blind optics with gloved fingers. When she opened them she could hardly contain the hiss of shock as a mighty tree loomed into view, a wooden giant of thick and massive status. On impulse her left arm shot out and clutched the bark, swinging round its trunk and bringing herself to its leaf-ridden bough. She released her grip and flew toward it, briefly maintaining buoyancy before hitting the limb's edge and bouncing off it, falling back into the chain of command.

Her loud entrance prompted Sai to tear his sight away from the path, and what he saw made him do a double-take. "Sakura-san! You're--!"

A terse glance showed him a neck covered in a film of sweat, her breath in ragged pants. "You didn't feel that?" she asked. "Th-that pulse?"

Kiba's curse stopped him from answering. "I can't feel him! The scent's gone!"

Sakura stiffened. _'What? How did he . . ?'_

"DAMMIT!" swore Naruto.

"An A-Rank Blind Genjutsu . . ." was Kakashi's response**(2)**. "He's wiped out his chakra signature."

"Well what do we do now?!" exclaimed the Jinchuuriki.

"There's not much we can do," said Yamato, continuing where the Jounin left off. "Blind Genjutsu is just as bad as regular Genjutsu. It's much more difficult to dispel. Those with Advanced Bloodlines, like Hinata's Byakugan, and hereditary traits, such as Shino's Kikai bugs and Kiba's sense of smell, won't be able to pick up the chakra as a whole but rather as scattered particles of the user's _tenketsu_. It is truly a clever technique."

"So that only leaves us with hunting down the rest of the platoon," concluded Shino.

Kakashi nodded. "That's right. Sasuke's going to have to wait. I know you mean well to bring him back, Naruto, but we don't have any other choice. We'll track 'em down and interrogate them by force. You got that, Kiba?"

The Inuzuka boy shot him a two-finger salute. "I hear ya loud and clear, Kakashi-sensei! Akamaru's already got a lock on their signatures." The dog barked in agreement and veered off to the right. He peered over his shoulder and called out, "This way!"

The recon team pierced the umbrage with a renewed vigor. Despite her pains Sakura kept up the pace, unaware of the looks Hinata and Sai sent her way. Her thoughts no longer pertained to the pulse, the after-images, the slow motion or creeping sickness.

No. Not anymore.

Sasuke was gone. Gone and without a clue as to where he was going. Was it Itachi he was heading for, this man he planned to kill since that dreadful night? Was it Akatsuki he was after, thinking the elder Uchiha would be there at some unspecified location? Or was it power? Sinful, tempting, horrible power?

Either way, she was going to find out.

She pressed on, too absorbed in her thoughts to notice a foreign sensation burning at the back of her head.

* * *

"What the _FUCK_ did you take before we left? Crack? We're supposed to lead 'em _AWAY_ from Sasuke, not jump around in circles playing tag!"

"Oh shut up, skinhead! It's called improvising for a reason!"

"Really? Last I checked it said _Piss poor navigational skills from a skinny ugly-ass bitch . . ._"

"You mother--!"

". . . _who can't hold a candle to a certain raven-haired homosexual!_"

"COME HERE AND SAY THAT TO MY FACE!"

A cough. "Um . . . you guys? The mission . . . ?"

Karin's passionate face thawed like ice on a hot summer day. "Yes, Juugo. The mission. Right. I'll get back to throttling Suigetsu when this blows over."

"Not if I kill you first . . ."

"Come again, whitey?!"

_"Karin?"_

She nodded. "Yes, Juugo, I know. The mission. I haven't forgotten. I know what I'm doing. Trust me!"

"Why'd he put _you_ in charge in the first place?" grumbled Suigetsu.

Ignorance was bliss, as the saying goes, but the vein on Karin's forehead spoke otherwise. Why the hell did he have to be so annoying? _'Goddamn water-boy . . .'_

No sooner after her thoughts processed did the electrical vibes tingle down her spine. It lingered within the dark recesses of her mind and glowed bright and hot, just enough to make them barely visible. She sorted them out from strongest to weakest based on chakra signatures. There was a high, nearly limitless aura flowing in great curlicues, a mixture of blue and orange chakra. No doubt it was the Jinchuuriki. Other energy levels were present with various chakra control, such as the one with the dog, a person whose energy doubled with the Sharingan (_'Crap!'_), and a Hyuuga (_'Double crap!'_). Eight people in total . . . and nine dogs, including the one she had just counted.

Wait . . . what was this? Karin focused harder on the anomaly. One of the five other ninja had a signature fluctuating between the average amount of chakra used to maintain an aura and border-line chakra exhaustion. It was very weak and very faint, almost non-existent. There was the normal blue and green chakra (_'This one must be a medic-nin . . .'_), but . . . there was something else. The specialist delved deeper and her confusion escalated threefold.

It was unlike anything she had ever seen. Interposed with the person's signature in small, round blotches was white chakra. _White_ chakra. Was that even possible? Although, Orochimaru _did_ tell her about light chakra and dark chakra not too long ago. He didn't say much about it, but he made a comment that _'there was a major and subtle difference which counteracted their unity as an independent variable'_. Could it be that this foreign energy was light chakra?

Karin reached out and probed the oddity, only for her to pass through it. A thin, shallow veil obscured her mind's eye and a troublesome burden weighed and itched in her head.

She furrowed her brow. _'What the . . . ? This isn't chakra; there's no density! What in the world am I looking a--'_

She felt it coming even before Suigetsu yelled to watch her six. Karin vaulted over a high branch, rolling into the somersault as a gust of wind slashed into the mighty tree and continued going at an alarming speed. The woodlord groaned and fell to earth with a calamitous bang.

_'Tenkuuken_**(3)**, _huh?'_ mused the red-haired specialist. _'To think a C-rank Fuuton jutsu could generate that much power . . . This Sharingan fellow is going to be a problem--'_

"Land somewhere, dammit!" Suigetsu shouted. "They're gaining on us!"

"So it's come to this, eh? Well then, let's give 'em what we came here for!" And then she saw it: a clearing in the glade, big enough to support the rules of the game. Karin smirked. Finally! It was time to break the chains, loosen the muscles, and free the beast within!

She jumped off the branch and in the midst of her landing grabbed a hold of the forest floor. She wheeled around to face the way Team Snake came, the point at which the Leaf-nin would arrive. Her hands immediately flew into action, starting with the Bird seal, then Dragon and Tiger in rapid succession. One hand slipped in and out of the hip pouch on her left thigh, retrieving a modest-sized scroll. With a flick of her wrist the parchment unfurled a lengthy sheet of papyrus with three complex Kanji marking the surface.

She bit her thumb and dashed a line of blood across the symbols. They glowed at the sacrificial touch. **"HIDEN: SANMA HANATSU!"(4)**

The light intensified and a low hum escaped from the confines of the scroll's subsidiary dimension. When the sound rose to a tumultuous drone, smoky pillars began to boil around her feet. Phantom will-o'-the-wisps compacted from chakra residue floated above her head and spread out on the field like a majestic peacock's tail.

"Bringin' out your poker pals, aren't we?" Suigetsu said from behind his shoulder, grinning predatorily.

Karin smiled with equal ferocity. "Yes I am, shark-boy. _Yes, I am!_"

* * *

**(1)** A person's _reach_ is defined by how much and how far he can sense chakra within the aforementioned vicinity.

**(2)** Blind Genjutsu is an advanced branch of Genjutsu used by those with a large amount of chakra. The concept of Blind Genjutsu is to 'hide' one's chakra signature so that Hunter-nin or ANBU cannot detect them, thus leading to confusion. Advanced Bloodlines will not be able to pick out the person's chakra signature as a whole but as scattered particles, as Yamato explains.

**(3)** A C-Rank Fuuton _jutsu_. Though not explicitly shown, the _Tenkuuken_ is generated by focusing chakra on the arm the person will use to unleash the technique. When enough chakra is built up, he releases it with a swipe of his hand. The _jutsu_ can also be used with a _ninjaken_, but the differences in power and speed is debatable. However, it is implied (by Karin) that the _Tenkuuken_ can become even more powerful if the user has a Sharingan, thus increasing its abilities tenfold. Its name translates to _Wind Style: Air Blade_.

**(4)** An S-Rank Hiden _jutsu_. Like the standard summoning, blood-enhanced chakra from the user must be swiped onto the scroll containing the summons in a pocket/subsidiary dimension. As the name suggests, this _jutsu_ releases three demons from the dimension. (Note: See Chapter Three: "Esoteric Symphonic" and Chapter Fourteen: "Price of Peddlers for further explanation of the summons). Its name translates to _Secret Technique: Three Demons Release_.


	4. III: Esoteric Symphonic

**Disclaimer :** All characters and places belong to Masashi Kishimoto, ©1999-2008. Any characters and/or locations not recognized in the _Naruto Shippuden _universe belong to Jennifer Nicole Siciliano, a/k/a Grand Phoenix.

_A/N: And now we arrive (AT LAST!) for the moment we've all been waiting for: the fight between the Konoha recon and Team Hebi (or rather, Team Hawk, as of Chapter 402)! Ugh, I'm just glad I got this all typed out because I am NEVER going to write a fight scene this long AGAIN. This must be how Kishimoto-san feels sometimes (cue sigh)._

_Unfortunately, some scenes had to be taken out of this chapter (i.e. the extended fight between Kakashi and Juugo, Suigetsu throwing grenades at Sakura and attempting a sneak attack, to name a couple). Just gotta go with what you know. (But hot damn, I just known I rushed the Naruto/Sakura/Sasuke fight to get this posted. Maybe yes, maybe no. You be the judge)._

_So! The next time we see action will be in Chapter Seven: "Klocksaw". And, just because you all have been kind and patient, I'll let you know after that point we switch to Sasuke and Itachi's battle in Chapter Eight: "Point Blank" and Chapter Nine: "Blood-Soaked Misanthropy". That'll be all the spoilage you'll get for now ;)._

_I can't guarantee future chapters will come out much faster, but be happy with what you got. So please enjoy. Concrit is welcomed and appreciated._

_(Ah! and before I forget. If you want to place "Sparda in Colossal" in a C2 Archive (or any other of my stories, Naruto or non-Naruto), hit me up with a PM or review and I'll give you full permission to do so)._

* * *

_"For never can true reconcilement grow,  
Where wounds of deadly hate have pierced so deep."_  
-- John Milton, _Paradise Lost_

* * *

**Chapter III**

** ESOTERIC SYMPHONIC**

* * *

**KAKASHI KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG THE MOMENT HE FELT THREE MORE **chakra signatures enter his reach. At first he thought the platoon had left behind Bunshin, simple recreations of the individuals who formed them and shared a portion of their chakra. They could have been implemented with C-rank Blind Genjutsu, even B-rank Blind Genjutsu with techniques such as _Medusa no Me_ or _Akuma Kasumi_**(1-2)**, but with the teachings of the elite ANBU Black Ops ingrained in his head Kakashi saw right through them like tracing paper.

Something was off about these strange beacons. It was almost as if they had been separated from symbiosis**(3)**. The chakra was spreading across the expanse and vanished upon metaphorical contact, which made Kakashi all the more concerned about the next step in the enemy's plan.

_'What could it be? This is unlike anything I've ever felt before. Just who did Sasuke recruit to his fold?'_

The Jounin hit the branch on all fours, ready to jump again when a sharp pinprick of chakra assaulted his frontal lobe, forcing him to look up at the distance beyond their intended path.

He gasped. "GET TO THE SIDE!"

The Shinobi turned to him, startled by his revelation. They awoke from their stupor to Hinata's cry, whose eyes were activated by the Byakugan. "Hurry!"

And just like that the spell dispersed and the recon team broke away, literally dodging a grey bullet speeding through the trees the group was in moments. Leaves were blown from their boughs and powerful gusts of wind lifted their cloaks, _hitai-ate_ bands to the wrath of artificial deities. A whistling howl was left in its wake.

To Sakura, the sound was a dreadful omen. For the third time that day her world slowed down, every minimal detail vividly lingering in a dazzlingly ethereality. The late, spherical mildew on spear and star-shaped leaves; cissoidal contortions etched into tree bark; powdery white rain eternally trapped in helical patterns among sunny staircases to heaven . . . .

A low voice breathed into her ear, _'The Pillars Rise in the East. Beware . . .'_

And then, in the vague impressionistic fog that was the horizon, the silhouettes appeared . . .

"I see them!" exclaimed Hinata. "There's a clearing a quarter mile north from our position. I can just barely make out a chakra well . . ."**(4)**

Kakashi grimaced behind his mask. "Well, we know now where that thing came from. They've anticipated our arrival, so proceed with caution! Don't do anything that'll jeopardize this mission! Do I make myself clear?" A chorus of affirmatives answered back. "Good. Let's move out!"

With their destination in mind, the recon team picked up their pace. Lost in his own thoughts Sai spared a glance at the pink-haired Kunoichi, whose aura was tense and fragile, before resuming his attention back on their mission.

The questions would just have to wait.

* * *

"Any minute now," Suigetsu said as he lumbered up. "Any minute now and I'll be dicin' me some green leaves."

"Earth to dumbass, we're not here to kill them!" Karin exclaimed, holding her arms crossed to her chest. "We hold 'em off til Sasuke gives the go!"

"Earth to Karin, he said _Do whatever you can to stop them. Leave no quarter_. That means CHOP CHOP!" retorted the Hozuki. He withdrew Kubikiri Hōchō from the makeshift belt tied across his back.

"And if we don't Juugo can make them go BOOM," countered the specialist. The man in question grimaced.

Suigetsu placed a hand on his hip, replying in a deadpan voice, "Congratulations, Karin, you're one step away from stupidity and one step closer to flattery."

She shot him a glare. "Screw you, pageboy!"

Juugo coughed. _"The mission. . ."_

Suigetsu answered him before Karin could have her say (her mouth hanging open in disbelief). "Yeah, the mission. I can't wait to kick their a--_OOF!_" A tan fist crashed into his face, lifting his feet off the ground and sent flying across the field. A resounding boom signified his impact.

"Sunnuva bitch!" "They've arrived!" Karin and Juugo shouted simultaneously.

Standing ten feet away was the infamous Jinchuuriki, his left hand bracing the carpet green. Scarlet chakra simmered off his being, hissing when he released his limb from the crater marked with complementary crevasses. He righted himself to his full height, his eyes shadowed by bristling golden locks swaying on its own accord.

Behind him the Konoha reconnaissance team shot from the trees. Sakura landed with an awkward grace, biting back a grunt as pain lanced up her legs. She raised her head in time to see the blue-skinned youth stagger out of the woodlord's wreckage, nursing his smarting jaw.

"You bastard . . ." he growled. "I'll make you regret that!"

"Where's Sasuke?" asked the Konoha-nin, ignoring the seething man.

"Even if you beat us to a pulp we won't tell you," said Karin. "You're not worth his time."

"Neither are you," came the cold remark. Naruto lifted his right arm and, from his sleeve, produced a kunai. "Move aside."

"Like hell I will!" She clasped her hands in the familiar Ram and Ox seals. "Come, Tsurube-Otoshi, Gyuuki!"**(5-6)**

The ground exploded at her command and smoke and debris showered the battlefield. When the fog cleared the recon saw two demon summons flanking Karin's sides. To her left was a large ox clawing the earth with its ruddy hooves. It possessed a bovine shape with long, grey scars stretching along its backside. Its fur was a terrible shade of black, smooth and glossy as glass, and its lionized mane a wintry white complimented its broad physique. Pointed ears and scraped horns made up its snarling face, an image in respect of the _Koma-inu_ of old**(7)**.

The second summon to her right was a specimen unlike anything the Konoha-nin had ever seen. It was a skeleton of what looked to be a dragon (the closest thing that could come to mind, and even so it was far from the truth). The body and limbs were connected to flowing chains of chakra, and through its cracked sternum was a pulsating white orb. A long, spiked tail extended from the small of its back.

"I don't think I need to tell you two what to do," said the specialist to her summons. Gyuuki snorted and Tsurube-Otoshi bent its chin. "Good. Now go! Show them what we're made of! Show them we're not to be messed with!" Karin shot her left arm out, and the demonic duo raced toward their targets like lions unleashed from their cages.

Suigetsu swung Kubikiri Hōchō into a ready stance, bearing a sinfully sweet smile. "That blond prick is mine, Juugo, so hands off. The rest of the bait is yours."

"Understood," replied the Snake member, all trace of emotion wiped from his face. His entire forearm twisted into the shape of a single-edged short sword.

With that declaration the two Shinobi charged into the ensuing battle.

* * *

Kakashi didn't even get a chance to warn the recon before Tsurube-Otoshi slammed into him. His lone Sharingan activated too late when the dragon summon came on them, but he was thankful no one else had been targeted by it.

He held on for dear life as it plowed through the undergrowth. Blood mixed with soil and shrapnel as he madly fought for any niches in the creature's armor. His feet made two long furrows in the earth as chakra pumped in every _tenketsu_ point that wasn't shot by the grey force. Sweat trickled down his neck and his teeth grounded together in a painful grimace.

Finally the pressure became too much and Kakashi felt his foot slide in the mud. He lost his grip and silpped beneath the summon's roll with a yelp in one fluid motion. Karin could not resist the smirk on her lips, but it dropped the second she noticed a moss-covered log hit the earth.

_'Kawarimi!'_ Swearing loudly she twitched the fingers on her right hand. Tsurube-Otoshi lurched to an abrupt halt, arms hanging limply by its sides. Chakra strings -- so thin that only the Byakugan and a fully matured Sharingan could see -- pulled taut at the reversing flow of direction. Like a gear on a machine the summon turned and turned, returning to its contractor in a yo-yoing blur.

It was not to say that Tsurube-Otoshi was slow by any means. In fact, it was by testing its capabilities the day Karin signed her master's contract that it literally blew her away, reaching up to speeds that would compete with the Yondaime Hokage's infamous _Shunshin no Jutsu_. The creature's inner workings were vague when it came down to understanding its full potential, but Karin believed there had to be some sort of _jutsu_ formula grafted into its heart and spine. It was the only conclusion she could make.

She was shocked when she sensed the man's signature racing toward her. In her mind she begged Tsurube-Otoshi to hurry, _hurry the hell up_, when the chakra well rippled violently. With both hands tied to her summons Karin jumped back right as Kakashi emerged from the earth.

**"DOTON: SHINJUU ZANSHUU GEKIHOU!"(8)** His fist barely grazed her chin and the kunai he held cut through air. So close! he thought; he almost had her! If it weren't for those _things_ chasing him, he would have knocked her pretty head off her shoulders . . .

A flash! Konoha's former ANBU Captain stared down at the burly golden-haired man appearing between him and his bespectacled opponent. His sword-shaped arm swung up behind his back and struck at the airborne Leaf-nin.** "FUURINKIRI!"(9)** He cut through Kakashi from the left shoulder to the right thigh with the finesse of an elegant dancer. Blood streamed from the open wound and splattered along Juugo's clothing.

The Jounin's upper torso skimmed away from its lower extremities, but just as the body was about to touch the ground it burst into a puff of smoke.

Juugo gasped. "What . . . ?"

Karin growled, clenching her fists. Already this Sharingan guy was being a pain in the--!

**"KATON: KARYUU ENDAN!"** From the heavens Kakashi descended, one hand to his lips and (Kami knows how with the mask on) blowing a jet of fire at the two ninja. Tsurube-Otoshi glided to its master's side and, with Juugo's cry of _Chakra no Gou-tate!_**(10)**, exposed a short burst of energy from its chest. The flames made contact with the shield, bouncing off the surface emitted from the now visible chakra well.

Just as they lowered the shield, Kakashi landed in a crouch. He placed his fingers to his mouth and blew a sharp whistle. The _ninken_ who were tussling with the Gyuuki or dodging Suigetsu's erratic sword swings rushed toward Juugo, barking and growling.

"Sorry, Karin. I'm afraid you're on your own!" said the man, immediately high-tailing into a thicket on his left. Kakashi and his dogs followed, going through or jumping over shrubs.

"Fine with me!" she said. She turned back to the battle, fingers curling on one hand and spinning chakra threads with the other.

* * *

Yamato grunted as the ox demon fought to escape the grip he had on its horns. It huffed and puffed, shaking its head violently and stomping its hooves in an attempt to rise and knock the man off his feet. But the Konoha ANBU, much like with Kakashi-sempai and Tsurube-Otoshi, remained vigilant. He had to hold on long enough for Shino to finish . . .

The Gyuuki bellowed as smoke flared from its nostrils. It stuck out its chest and reared back, ramming the earth with its front feet. The floor shook ominously, and with each stamp the summon made the shocks grew stronger in intensity.

A second sound of concentration slipped past Yamato's lips. The Gyuuki, sensing the Leaf-nin's depleting strength, tossed its wild mane and roared a bark of triumph.

"Sh-Shino-kun," he forced out. His hands, sore and slick with sweat, loosened their hold.

"Right away," exclaimed Aburame. Just as his hands made the Dog sign, Shino drew his right hand back. Glowing with chakra the air around it vibrated, and soon a loud humming was heard. Insects of various kinds popped out of the woods from all directions and gathered in thick swarms. They encased the hand like a dark glove, and with a cry he swung his arm forward.

**"MUSHI-AMI!"(11)**

Yamato released the horns and fell back. The ox demon had no time to counteract the assault before the chakra enhanced net flung onto it with a startling ferocity. In the dust it rolled, kicking and snorting and gnashing at the critters.

_'Now!'_

He crouched low, his hands moving like raft waters.

Ox, Hare, Monkey, Boar, Horse, Monkey, Snake!

**"MOKUSEI ORI NO GINGA!"(12)**

Giant tree limbs punched through the grassy surface, whipping and twisting around with a startling flexibility that normal woodlords did not possess. Thin, cord-like, or bulky, they wrapped around the Gyuuki just as it was about to get up.

Yamato and Shino watched as the summon struggled. Green buds flourished from the branches, some which began to open up as bright, colorful flowers.

"You better hurry, Yamato-sensei," said the bug user. "From the looks of it my _kikai_ bugs won't last long."

The ANBU drew his _ninjaken_ from the holster across his shoulders. "You're right. I see a spot that the trees didn't cover. Perhaps a weak point?"

"It's possible."

He nodded. "Right! Cover me!" And he ran, closing the distance with breakneck speed. He slashed at debris sent flying from Tsurube-Otoshi's tail, its battle taking place not far from him. Approaching the trapped bull, Yamato reversed his blade's grip and drew it back in a stabbing motion.

Karin held her arms above her head, digits splayed out in a circle. "Now, Yato-no-Kami!"**(13)**

_CRACK!_

Yamato covered his face, chips of wood bouncing off his free hand. When he lowered his arm he found himself being stared down by three large snakes with lustrous blue scales. One leaned forward and hissed, venom dripping from its fangs.

_'Another summon?!'_

Karin smirked. From her left hand came a half Tiger seal and a closed fist. **"SHINJA NO MAI!"(14)** Chakra flowed from the well and encased the serpents in a column of energy. They bristled and shook, forked tongues flitting with delight. Their skin darkened many shades.

Dread nestled comfortably on Yamato's insides.

"Now go!" said the specialist. "Have at him!"

The snakes launched at him. One by one they slammed their bodies, meeting the ground instead of crushing their enemy. Yamato backflipped, once, twice, then pulled up a wall of earth to block the poisonous blasts from two heads. Slowly, the hard barrier began to take its toll, crumbling and corroding from the snakes' attacks.

He moved his hands into a familiar cross-shaped seal, ready to enact the _Moku Kawarimi_. His mind raced through scattered battle plans and possible outcomes.

**"GATSUUGA!"**

Kiba and Akamaru (in the guise of the _Konbi Henge no Jutsu_) came out of the blue, slashing across the serpents' faces. They hissed and their necks spasmed with shock. Beneath them glowed a green chakra well and in center of it, posed in the stance of the_ Hakke Rokujuuyonshou_, was Hinata. Outside her field of attack was Shino.

"Hey, Sensei!" called Kiba, grinning wildly. "Havin' fun?"

"Are you all right, Yamato-sensei?" queried Hinata.

Yamato was taken aback, but regained his composure. "Yes, I'm okay. We're in a bit of a pinch here."

"Well then, we'll just have to fix that, won't we?" Kiba answered. "Shino figured four people would be better than two against three."

The ANBU Captain nodded. "You're right. That's a sound idea, Shino-kun. Now then, let's say we give these fellows what they're asking for!"

* * *

Sakura's fist met Tsurube-Otoshi's palm with a powerful _smack_, and the air around them vibrated. Their eyes met: one pair as polished emeralds, the other as glowing caverns of chakra. Locked in a stare-down they fought, willing the opponent to stand down, to behold the might of their power. Then they started again, their carousel of doom.

Sai flitted his up to his comrade's battle. Sakura dodged the demon's claws, traded her defense with well-oiled, quicksilver Taijutsu. A well-timed Konoha Dai Senpuu allowed her to evade the earth thrown up from the dragon's tail slam.

He turned back to the scroll in front of him, painting the next set of characters.

Sakura brought her forearm up against Tsurube-Otoshi's right claw, blocking it as she curled up a fist coated in green chakra and launched it at its heart. It bounced harmlessly off its energy shield. Taking the initiative, the demon clapped its claws together. The shield expanded with a metallic ring, tossing Sakura off her feet.

Right in the nick of time.

_SHIIING!_

Four shuriken cut through the air. Tsurube-Otoshi reared back and struck at them with extended claws.

He bit his thumb, dotted his fingers in blood.

Eight steel pieces softly fell into the grass.

**"NINPOU: ZATOICHI BASARA."(15)**

_FLASH!_ Tsurube-Otoshi brought an arm to its chest as the Seal Clone's blade arm came down. One! Two! Three! The last slash caused a crack to form and chakra flow along its limb.

Its empty sight smoldered.

"Sakura-san," said Sai. "Are you alright?"

The medic-nin lifted herself to her knees, hands splayed over them. After taking a few deep breaths she looked to him. She bobbed her head. ". . . I'm okay. Don't worry about it."

"But Sakura-san--"

_BAM!_ The Shinobi snapped to attention.

Tsurube-Otoshi hovered, its fist coated in chakra residue. The chakra well crackled madly, hissing and steaming.

"Sakura-san," Sai tossed in quickly. "Leave this to me," His hand flew to his hip pouch. Sakura shook her head, incredulous.

"Are you kidding me? I'm not going to let you fight it alone!"

"Just trust me!" he exclaimed. He flicked his wrist from the pouch, revealing three flash bombs. Before Sakura could refute he was already sprinting through the grass, poised for attack.

_'What makes him think we can't fight it together? This thing can hit with twice my strength! Doesn't he know that?'_ Unable to come to a conclusion, Sakura stood and fled from the ensuing battle.

* * *

**"KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!"**

Suigetsu clicked his tongue and wiped the back of his hand across the cut above his left eyebrow. "Stupid _gaki_! Stay the fuck STILL!"

Naruto wouldn't have it any other way. Clone after clone rushed at the swordsman, overwhelming him with failed attempts of the Naruto Uzumaki Rendan. He fought them off, whether it was with the Kubikiri Hōchō or hitting their pressure points with sharp, precise strikes.

But what he did not notice was that Naruto was buying time to pull his trump card. He looked to the tree beside him. Good; the seal was still holding up. It was a move he didn't want to risk, but at the speed the blue-skinned youth was going with the large sword it seemed wise to put it to use. The _butai_ kanji continued to glow, dispersing chakra into the open space and ejecting a Kage Bunshin from nothingness**(16)**.

He turned back to the scene taking place. The clones were coming with full force, constantly forcing his opponent to change tactics. Naruto grinned. Forming the T-shaped seal he brought formed two Kage Bunshin. He held out his palm and with the other worked to build up the necessary chakra.

Suigetsu whirled the blade in a perfect circle, destroying the clones surrounding him. He kicked hard at one in the midriff, then backhanded another to oblivion. He growled under his breath. So many damn clones! Who would have thought the little prick had it in him?

His thoughts derailed when a clone clotheslined him, falling on top of him as they crashed to earth. Hozuki swore loudly. He thumped his heel once and a flash of steel gleaned from the sole of the _zori_. With a cry he kicked his leg out and up, slashing the clone in half. It vanished in a cloud of smoke.

He rolled backward and hefted Zabuza's blade in an upward slash, taking out more clones. As the fog dissipated, there came a strong gust of wind pushing against him.

He lifted his head, and his eyes widened in shock.

_'AH, FUCK!'_ His mind raced. His pulse quickened. Sweat rolled in raindrops and his teeth ground harshly as he saw the Jinchuuriki pound towards him, whiskers defined and the eye of Rasengan swirling in his hand.

_'Damn damn damn damn damn damn. . !'_ No time to act! The boy was coming on him fast, and with the roar of combat clashing in his ears and adrenaline sluicing through his veins, Suigetsu thought of only one other option.

Hands gripped on the sword's handle. Muscles tensed and sinews flexed. A pained grunt escaped his throat and the Kubikiri Hōchō was drawn unto heaven and down unto earth.

_FOOOMM!_

Blade and chakra clashed in loud accord, and the younger Hozuki's vision became enligh-tened in waves of whipping energy ribbons. Planting his feet firmly to the ground he pushed, pushed his chakra into the _zanbatou_ and pushed with all his body's might.

His thin brow narrowed in irritation.

Red chakra flared into existence behind the blonde lad, an unholy bellow pressing and sho-ving against the sword-fighter's slender frame. The Leaf-nin's canines were in a vicious snarl, lips curled over hot pink gums. His torso twisted into the relaying force, causing a small crater to form beneath the pulsing hotspot. Taken aback by the impact Suigetsu fumbled.

What happened next made his heart stop.

A tiny crack appeared on the Kubikiri Hōchō's fuller.

_'Zabuza Momochi be damned!'_

Growling in the depths of his throat, Suigetsu relinquished his hold. He lifted his left hand and formed two half-seals, a Rabbit and a Tiger. **"SUITON: BAKUHATSU RYOU!"(17)**

The forest floor in front of him erupted in a colossal breaker. Naruto yelped as water clouded his vision and pushed him across the area in lightning quick bursts. His back slammed into a tree, jagged pieces of bark digging into his skin. Through all the blinking he saw the youth in front of him, lifting Kubikiri Hōchō over his shoulder.

Suigetsu grinned madly. "NOW DIE!" And down came the sword . . .

. . . But it never came. Sakura stood her ground, her face grim and her grip rock-hard on the flat of the blade. Both Shinobi gaped at her.

"Sakura . . ." Naruto breathed.

Hozuki snarled. "Bitch, l-let . . . go!"

And Sakura did. With a twist of her arms she tossed the _zanbatou_'s tip to the floor, literally pulling it away from the youth's grasp. An indignant cry flew from his lips and, before he could make a move, the Konoha Kunoichi knocked him silent with a fierce uppercut. He lay on his back, spread-eagled and dazed.

Naruto slapped his haunches. "Whew! Thanks, Sakura. I thought I had it coming there."

Sakura cracked her knuckles. "Don't get too cocky. I only hit him hard enough to see stars, so he'll be waking up any minute now."

Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but a loud explosion sounded from across the field. The Leaf-nin whipped around just as Kakashi was thrown out of the woods.

Suigetsu began to stir.

"Sakura," said Naruto, "you go and check out what's happening. I'll deal with the _kappa_."

She nodded. "Right." This time she did not argue. Unlike with Sai, Sakura had a much stronger trust in the Demon Jailor -- not out of favoritism or their friendship, but because they were Team Seven. Without Sasuke they were not whole. Without their brother they could not truly fight.

These thoughts in mind, Sakura bolted for the area of interest right as Naruto and a vicious-looking Suigetsu engaged in a Taijutsu duel.

* * *

Upon arriving in the clearing, Sakura's mind reeled at the raging chakra signature pouring off the man. She stopped, watched him moan in agony, watched his shoulders tremble, watched him stumble and clutch his head as if he was enduring a terrible hangover.

"No . . . _No!_ I don't want . . . nngh . . . I don't want to! I DON'T WANT TO!" Blotches of black spread over his face and his skin darkened. His moans deepened, turning into feral growls. "Don't make me kill! Don't make me kill . . . another SOUL!"

He screamed, loud and horrible. Sakura's mind throbbed from the dramatic increase of his chakra signature. At the same time she realized Kakashi was no longer present. And then she saw it: a hole the size of a fist staring unblinkingly back from the man's chest. A chakra well flared beneath his feet, and the energy threads sped up to heal the wound.

_'Kakashi-sensei's Raikiri,'_ she noted. _'. . . But how can he be still alive? It's dead-on! Unless . . . there is more to the Curse Seal than I thought . . .'_

Juugo opened his eyes. One appeared to be a solid black and yellow, the other a grey, bloodshot disc. A wretched grin forced its way on his cheeks. "N-no . . . He said t-t-to st-stop th-them . . . give 'em n-n-no qu-quarter!" He fell to one knee, gasping heavily. "S-Sasuke . . . wh-where are y-y-you . . . ?"

Sakura blinked, a sudden idea coming to fruition. _'That's right! Maybe . . . if I can get through the Curse Seal, he might just tell me where Sasuke is . . .'_ But what would happen if he didn't know? What if he was too deep into the Curse Seal to understand what she was saying?

_'Only one way to find out.'_ "Tell me," she said, "do you know where Sasuke's heading to? Your leader: Sasuke Uchiha. He planned this diversion to buy time, so it must mean that Itachi is nearby. Which way is Sasuke going?"

Juugo gazed fixedly at her, drawing blood from his lip. "G-Going? Wh-where is h-he . . . g-g-going? Hehe . . . wh-why would y-you want t-to know? You're not worthy! . . . of his . . . _PRESENCE!_" At this he said 'presence' with a hiss that reminded her of someone oh-so familiar.

"I don't want to fight you. I just want to see him."

"S-See him?" queried the man, incredulously. "_See . . . HIM?_" He cackled. "He doesn't want to see you! He told me all about you guys! Pathetic ninja . . . you're nowhere near as strong as he is! He looks at no one but Itachi!"

"And Itachi's here, isn't he?"

"Yes, yes! Of course he is! They're both at the Uchiha Esta--!" Juugo flinched as if he had been struck. Sensing his mistake, his glare hardened murderously. "I KNEW IT! I KNEW I SHOULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING SOONER! I SHOULD HAVE KILLED A WOMAN INSTEAD!" He shook his head. "But he let me live! He set me free! Why? WHY?! Hell if I know! I just want to _KILL!_"

He pounced with unimaginable speed! and it took Sakura all her strength and quick thinking to jump back to avoid his shape-shifted arms' hammer punch to the ground. He lifted them, tossing a hail storm of jabs at the Leaf-nin. Too fast for her to dodge Sakura opted to block and absorb the damage, but it proved fatal as Juugo crushed her guard and clotheslined her.

Stars were coming in colorful bursts, but Sakura went along with the roll. She rose, dashed away the blood on her chin, and charged at the golden-haired man. They traded blows, Ninjutsu and Taijutsu, aiming to sever their pressure points and finish off their opponent.

Sakura's _Konoha Shoufuu_ and Juugo's axe kick connected, causing the chakra well surrounding them to fluctuate. Team Hebi's powerhouse skirted back, then jumped in a spinning roundhouse followed by a low sweep kick. Sakura hopped it, spun and shoulder-tackled him in the back. Caught by surprise he staggered; the Konoha Chuunin reared her fist back, launched the _Konoha Raiken_--

--and Juugo caught it, meeting crazed orbs and a malign smile. Sakura didn't even feel it hit, didn't see it come until the last second, but the pain that accompanied the head-butt was overwhelming.

Sakura shivered, adrenaline and panic pumping through her veins. A shadow loomed before her, and Sakura believed in that instant that death was near. It would have been, in another time and dimension, but fate -- it seemed -- proved merciful today.

She looked up and saw a hurtful sight in which Juugo stood, his sword arm frozen in mid-air, and the blotches fighting and squirming to devour him whole.

There were tears in his eyes. One appeared to be a solid black and yellow, the other a grey, bloodshot disc.

He swallowed thickly, grinded his teeth. "G-Go! GO! Before it consumes me!"

Sakura held her breath, sore and amazed.

"Hurry!"

That was it. Sakura scurried to her knees, then to her feet. She mumbled to him, bowed her head (with a cringe), and limped out of the area. Juugo fell, a sorrowful moan escaping him, and darkness reigned.

* * *

There they stood, framed by time, bound by Chaos. Steam rolled in misted waves. Beside Him a great-horned owl hooted.

He waited.

* * *

Naruto coughed into his sleeve, eyes squinting and watering. He lay low behind some bushes, calming his beating heart while his wounds healed. When his breathing slowed he took the chance to survey the battle playing out before him.

The scene was truly chaotic. _Jutsu_ after _jutsu_ tore at the earth, burning trees down to a cinder, drenching patches of grass where ankle-deep puddles formed, leaves and branches thrown and broken to skeletal remains. Team Hebi's lone female member, the one called Karin, directed the three summons upon the Konoha recon with cold precision.

Kiba and Akamaru locked horns with the Gyuuki while Hinata and Sai attacked Tsurube-Otoshi with Juuken-ryuu, _Choujuu Ginga_, and _Sumi Bunshin_. Yamato tussled with an out of control Juugo, and Kakashi and Shino fought back against the trio that made up Yato-no-Kami.

Naruto blinked.

_'Where's Sakura?'_

He double-checked, triple-checked the area, but he did not see the vibrant pink hair or red and black clothing. She was nowhere to found.

_'Sakura . . . ?!'_

Oh Gods, he had a feeling something was wrong. He didn't know what, but something was off with the way she'd been acting. Gods and Above, if only he knew--

"Naruto!"

The Jinchuuriki whipped his head around. There she was, panting and huffing. Sweat marked her skin and her chest rose with each breath taken.

Her eyes looked tired.

_'My God, she looks horrible.'_

Nonetheless, he was relieved. "Sakura . . ."

"I know where Sasuke's at! Come with me!" At this she grabbed hold of his arm.

He shook his head. "Sakura, you're exhausted. Stay here. Just tell me which way he's go--"

"Naruto, I'm fine!" she snapped, a frown twisting into place. "Worry about Sasuke! He's more important!"

"So are you, Sakura, and what's more important is for you to sit this fight out and recuperate before something else bad happens to you!"

The Godaime's apprentice fixed him a smoldering glare. "I'm going with you whether you like it or not. End of story."

Their stare-down lasted only a few seconds before Naruto caved in. He sighed, and his shoulders slumped. "Alright. Lead me to him."

* * *

And at that moment, one Door closed with a final slam.

* * *

Sasuke moved through the forest as fast as he could without rest. Trees blurred to watercolors and horizons were crossed at every interval. Peering closely he could see the roof of the Uchiha Estate.

_'I can feel him. Barely, but he's there. I know it.' _His fist clenched. He remembered those words so clearly, the cryptic message which haunted his dreams, his sleepless nights, and his waking moments.

("Hate me, brother. Hate me and nothing more." Itachi's eyes shone crimson, the Mangekyou Sharingan's pinwheels piercing blackly, eerily, into that cowering whelp of an Uchiha. His long hair slid further down his back as he stared at the moon. It, too, was soaked in gore.

("Run. Run, and cling to life. Then when you have the same eyes as I do," Here he showed Sasuke the fabled orb, a king of lore and wrinkles and stone, "come to me!")

The younger Uchiha scowled. _'I WILL come! I will come and destroy you once and for all!'_

Indeed! That was indeed his mission! . . . before he felt two very familiar chakra signatures.

"Dammit, _dobe_!" Sasuke cried. "Why don't you stay out of this! Of all the people in the world, you _had_ to take _her_ with!" He glanced over his shoulder. They were catching up, and _fast_.

Sasuke grunted and turned away, the shuriken barely missing his cheek. It slammed into a tree with a dull _thunk_ and sizzled. He gasped when he espied the tiny explosive note attached to it.

_'SHIT!'_

His arms flew to his face, and the surrounding woodlords detonated with a mighty bang. Tossed through the air and slashed by bark and branches, the _nukenin_ dropped to the forest floor like a sack of dead weight.

Naruto and Sakura hopped from their perch. The Jinchuuriki stepped forward and pointed at him. "Sasuke! There's nowhere else to run! It's time to go back!"

Team Hebi's leader stood, staggering as he did so. He brushed off chips of kindling and whispery soot. "What makes you think I want to go back?"

"Right now I don't care! You're needed where you belong! Not with Orochimaru or Akatsuki or anyone! Come back to Konoha, brother!"

Sasuke sneered. "I have no brother."

"Tough shit, _teme_!"

"You were always so vulgar . . . so conceited. Becoming Hokage will become death."

"I won't die! Not until all my promises've been made!"

"This is one promise you won't keep."

"Sasuke!" said Sakura, moving next to Naruto. Haruno and the Last Uchiha locked eyes: emerald greens and black Chaos. "It doesn't have to be this way. We can fight Itachi together. You don't have to do it alone. Let us help you."

He scoffed. "I don't need help. Not from Konoha or anyone. No one, especially _you_."

"Sasuke, this is ridiculous! You can't take him on by yourself! Look what happened last time--"

"Shut your trap, harlot!" The Chidori sparked in the Uchiha's hands. "Don't tell me what to do!"

"Don't speak to her that way, _teme_!" screeched Naruto. "You're coming home RIGHT NOW!"

_CHICHICHICHICHI!_ The tip of the _chokuto_ nicked the valley of his neck, and the bloody Sharingan held him in ill-begotten promises. Sasuke raised the blade above his head and slammed it into the ground. Electricity cried to the heavens, a cage of angry birds and serpents, and a demigod in the center of the chakra well.

The Shadow Clones and Bunshin popped in a static _crunch!_, the Lightning element too much for their nervous systems to take. A pinprick of chakra surged and Sasuke feinted Naruto's haymaker. The _nukenin_ kicked him hard in the back, sending the blonde sprawling. Another spike; he turned around, slashed at the flurry of shuriken sent his way. A Bunshin trio rushed forward, bodies toned and ironed in Taijutsu, brawling against one hand and one sword. Parry, spin! one down. A jumping spin kick, a high axe kick, then a cut straight down the middle. Two down. An elbow to the solar plexus, a hand chop to the levator scapulae, a rabbit punch to the kidneys and an upward slice.

And then she pounced! The real Sakura drew back her arm and threw a backhand swing**(18)**. With two fingers Sasuke blocked the fist. He watched through half-lidded eyes the Konoha Chuunin fighting to overturn the scales of power.

"Is that it? Some Bunshin and a sucker punch?" He grunted. "How disappointing."

He pushed aside her hand and kneed her in the gut. Despite the pain searing through her being, Sakura recovered fast and fast she did! for the Chidori-induced _chokuto_ shrieked down upon her. Thinking quickly, the Kunoichi leaped forward and clapped the sword in her grasp.

The jolts were as shocking at the thundering steps of hell's army. The gloves she wore helped lessen the damage, but it did nothing to stem the numbness in her chakra. She gritted her teeth, tensed her muscles, pushed her will and strength into the blade that tempted to taste blood.

_'The Pillars Rise in the East.'_

Sweat rolled in rivulets.

_'The Pillars Rise in the East.'_

She closed and opened her eyes. Push . . . push . . . push harder!

_'The Pillars Rise in the East!'_

They were so close! So clear! They were so ancient, so young and monolithic! They were glowing . . . radiating . . . _burning_ . . .

(Smoke. Ash. Copper. Iron. Was that smoke . . ?)

_'BEWARE!'_

A Fuuma Shuriken raced over the heads of the ninja, shearing off strands of black hair. Sasuke slipped the sword from Sakura's grasp. He turned around and, by whatever miracle was sent from above, was tackled to the ground by the whiskered Jinchuuriki.

A fluke!

They were up on their feet in seconds, and they fought like the beasts of the wild. The fox and the wolf! The fox and the raven! They traded blows and shed blood for blood, fists bruising flesh and blades cutting cloth and skin.

Naruto's swing slammed into Sasuke's cheek. Sasuke lashed out and left a long, paper-thin laceration on his neck. Naruto hooked left, catching him across the other cheek, then dropped in with a right undercut. The Uchiha stumbled, clutching his smarting face. The Demon Jailor of Konoha pounded toward him, summoning an army of Tajuu Kage Bunshin at his rear flank.

Really? Was that all he could do? Sasuke could almost scowl with distaste. He straightened his back, crossed his arms, and focused his energies. Every _tenketsu_ point in his body opened and flared hotly. His hair stood on end and the Sharingan's _tomoe_ swirled.

Electricity crackled around him, simmered in a cerulean column. The Kage Bunshin were drawing closer. Closer . . . . closer . . . .

He let loose a battle cry, throwing out his arm and sword, and the sky lit up in a spectacular blue**(19)**. Clones left and right burst into thin air. Debris shot out from the floor. Naruto jumped, avoiding a large chunk of grassy earth.

It was a fatal mistake.

Sasuke flashed next him in seconds, the two men floating as if in slow motion. Just as Naruto realized that mistake, the Last Uchiha struck. A _Konoha Senpuu_ sent the Demon Jailor flying back to earth, and a volley of black and blue Chidori _senbon_ ripped into him before he had a chance to get up.

"Naruto!" cried Sakura. She reached with her left arm to grab a kunai, but pain (ever cruel pain!) suddenly speared her. Then the numbness from her hands intensified, followed by

fierce palpitations and the wave of nausea. Her knees locked together, her vision doubling.

Her body gave out, and Sakura remained in that position.

_'No! Not now! Not when we're so close!'_

Ash never tasted so awful.

The Pillars never looked so clear.

_'Go away! Go away!'_

A dark chuckle evaded her thoughts. Sakura, through squinted eyes, gazed upon the croaching figure of Sasuke Uchiha, his trademark smirk set in place. He stopped in front of her, fixing her with the same, cold stare minutes before their duel. The tip of his blade tapped a rough patch of grass, an esoteric symphony. It was music to his ears; judgment to the unsteady rhythm of Sakura's heart.

Quietude, and then:

"Look at you," he started. He sounded disheartened, condescending, as if the pink-haired Kunoichi had wronged a right. "_Look at you_. To think we were meant something in society. To think we were doing the right thing. To think . . . we had it made."

The smirk was dropped. Sasuke placed the _chokuto_ under Sakura's chin and lifted her to his eye level. "Look at this: pink hair, fair skin, green eyes, a scrawny build. A typical Haruno. Works for the betterment of those around them, living to fulfill that purpose and then some. Tough laborers, natural artists, versed in the world and all in between. So why, oh why, were we proven wrong? Why play charades? Ah; that's right. I know. You were _nothing_."

Sakura blinked. Just what was he saying?

He glanced over his shoulder, his face a picture of musings. He turned back to her. "That's right. You had nothing to begin with, nothing to prepare for the road ahead. You had nothing to rely on, nothing to forgive and forget. And yet you came to us. Strong, thriving Uchiha; the best of the best, the king of kings, the princes of fire. I wonder . . . what made you want to be with us in the first place?

"But you see, I discovered a Truth, a puzzle piece hiding in plain sight. Perhaps it was the tomes, the old papyrus scrolls. Maybe it was the way we interacted with you. I knew. I found out the meaning of our relationship. I found out why Father insisted me not to be paired with a Haruno. All the lies, all the gossip, all the rumors and back-talk and low profile conspiracies . . . Farces! They were all farces!"

"S-Sasuke . . ."

"You were a bunch of back-stabbing, sniveling grumps searching for our goal, our pride, our power! A hive of weaklings unfit for the throne of glory! Especially you, Sakura; you who are an epitome of nothing."

Sakura swallowed heavily. "Sasuke, what are you talking abou--"

"SHUT UP!" The Uchiha lashed out, a vicious kick to the chin. The Chuunin rolled to a halt, blood leaking from the corner of her lips. Sasuke appeared at her side in an instant. He took a handful of her shirt, fingers resting on her neck, and dragged her to his determined destination.

"You were always too weak to fend for yourself, too frail to do anything but stand there and cower in fear! You did nothing to contribute, nothing to salvage the pride and dignity of your clan and people! Always thinking better of yourself when you could have been training and resisting the elements the Gods had to offer! To kick the mud in your face and wipe the floor of you with their spit and grovel! But that isn't what a clan heir does, right? That isn't what the weak _do, DO THEY?!_"

She clawed at those pale long hands clutching her collar in a strong, death-like grip. His thumb was pressing on the spot right next to her neck's carotid artery. Fighting off the oncoming darkness obscuring the edges of her vision, pain fueled her desire to stay awake and live. Live: for Naruto to call forth his chakra reserves and save her. Live: because her mere presence was vital to the recon team's survival.

_(Because Sasuke was going to kill her . . . and there was nothing she could do to prevent it)_

"But that's not it," mumbled the Last Uchiha. He continued to drag her across the precipice at a solemn, eerie pace. "That's not it at all. Do you want to know why? Do you want to know why it isn't your cowardice, your feeble attempts at becoming a great Kunoichi, or your name-less ghost of a heritage?

"Because let me tell you, _Haruno_, it's much MORE than THAT."

_(Harder . . . press harder so she can't scream, can't cry out for help. Press harder so she knows how it feels to be useless, helpless, clan-less . . .)_

_'Get up, Naruto! Please, wake up!'_

But Naruto stayed down, locked in the brace of the blue and black _senbon._ His left eye cracked open, revealing a red iris.

"S-Saku . . . ra . . ." Fingers scraped at tough soil and dusty pebbles.

So close, yet so far away . . .

Sasuke huffed at him. He turned back to his task, sticking his nose up in the air. "Then again, why should I? You were lower than the dead-last to begin with." He did not pay heed to the strangled cry that slipped from her. "Either way, I'll put an end to this.

"I will make you sleep."

He stopped at the foot of the cliff. A lone breeze, cold and unforgiving, caressed his dark locks and rustled mutinous clothes. It was a long way down, a swamp compared to the massive forest. Black willow, aspen, red maple, tupelo; the bushy-crowned princes were gathered. Far below them, hammocks and sawgrass wavered on tiny knolls.

Sasuke lifted his burden over the edge, fingers still locked in their tight grip. He studied her, caught every detail of desperation in her kicking and clawing. Even without the Sharingan he knew, knew everything there was to know about the Haruno, the dead-last, the clan-less and defenseless.

"Sa . . . . . Sa . . . Sa . . . ." She wheezed, a bag out of air.

His grip slacked. His blade touched the earth.

"Goodnight, Sakura," a dull, monotone eulogy. "Pleasant dreams."

He let go.

Naruto shattered.

Sakura gawked, her world fading in whites and greys. She saw it, his face of stone. Cold, hard, emotionless. And those eyes . . . deep, lost, abysmal black . . .

There was no light. There was no warmth.

_'Sasuke . . . why?'_

Where were the smiles? Where was the youth? Where was the transition of adulthood and Genin teams? Where was the renaissance and the other side of the moon?

Where did it all go wrong?

_Where did it all go wrong?_

_'. . . Why?'_

She went through the leafy canopy. And then she was gone.

Silence followed, and it was terribly so. Sasuke sheathed the _chokuto_, a snake hiding in its cavern. He stared out in the direction of the Uchiha Estate, and the ghosts of the wind blew.

_'Are you still there, Itachi?'_ He placed a hand on his hip. _'Wait for me. I shan't be long.'_

". . . . gah . . . . nnggh . . . ."

The Last Uchiha tossed a sideways glance to the fallen Jinchuuriki. Red chakra encased his form like an acrid casket. His blonde locks splintered, grew rough and wild. Ghostly fox ears shaped themselves atop his head . . . and a single tail fought to come out.

Naruto trembled. His voice deepened, sharpened; honed to a glinting, jagged kunai. "Y-You bastard . . . . . You bastard . . . . ."

Sasuke looked the other way.

His chin rose with a snap, a feral shadow alight with the furnace of wrath blazing in crimson, tear-swept irises. "YOU BASTARD!"

And he screamed! the beast twisting his innards, ravaging his heart, mind, and soul was set free! Black lips pulled over pink gums, elongated canines flashing, claws digging into native soil. Once! Twice! the tail lashed. A second started to sprout from its fiery stump, but Naruto was on the hunt. Yearning, aching, thirsting, seeking . . . revenge! Revenge! REVENGE! Any coherent thought that was left in him vanished, but one was still pulsing, still breathing heavy.

_'Murderer! Murderer! You killed Sakura! YOU KILLED SAKURA!'_

Feet braced the earth. Snarls and grunts escaped him. He was seeing red! Red! And he pounced!

--_SHIIING!_

Naruto gasped, a pathetic sound of man and demon. He collapsed to his knees, blue orbs captivated in a wholly different world -- devoid, cold, lost. He fell, face-first, and then all was quiet.

The sword slid back into the scabbard. Sasuke scuffed his _zori_ along a pile of dirt, dabbling it on the jacket's black shoulder. He turned around and walked away from the unconscious body.

_'Enough of these games.'_ A chakra well formed beneath him, energy ribbons swaying to its own accord. His next words echoed in the minds of his subordinates.

_'Move out.'_

* * *

"It's him, Pein."

The man cocked his head to the side. From his periphery he saw Konan reappear in a swirling eddy of paper, hovering above the ground like a misshapen apparition.

"Jiraiya has come to Amegakure."

His lips thinned to a line. The fabled Rin'negan briefly looked away. "Jiraiya-sensei? . . . Just his name takes me back." He lifted his gaze to the dark overcast sky that eternally dominated the aptly-named village.

Over the horizon lightning flashed, and a great thunderclap boomed across the metal pipe-work and labyrinthine ghettos.

"What do you suggest we do?" asked the blue-haired beauty.

Pein rolled his neck to and fro, relishing each kink and pop it made. "We kill him. I hold no love for that man anymore. I even took out this body for him to look upon at Death's doorstep."

Silence again. The clouds drew ever closer, a black parade from Susanō.

"If you find him before I do, don't hesitate to act. I won't mind in the least bit."

"Yessir," Konan nodded and, with a hand seal, vanished down into the city like cherry blossoms touched by winter snow.

Pein sighed and rubbed his neck. Just when he was about to go back inside and read the Scriptures . . .

_'They'll have to wait then,'_ he reasoned.

There was no need to rush.

* * *

_No . . ._

He blinked. From the reaches of time and space, through the fabrics of conscience and sub-conscience He heard her cry. A small whimper, a plea in the dark. It echoed through the planes and whispered in the wind.

The water rippled.

_No . . ._

All but one Door were open, spewing forth a mist of fog and energy fragments. A single shaft of light poured from the domed ceiling, and the salty scent of ocean waves and waterfalls tickled His senses.

The water calmed.

_This can't be . . ._

A green leaf drifted lazily in the air, spinning on the breath of a breeze. He watched with every ounce of intent, cosmic orbs following the little leaf's path. Its underside graced the surface of the water and swayed to and fro, a boat along the great sea.

It rippled.

He turned to the Doors. They glowed a gentle radiance and sparkled in ways that mere physics could not explain, that which could only be experienced. They were without walls or stairs, without impulse or instinct. They stood and they waited, forever in repose.

_(Remember)_

He looked to the sky, listened closely. The soft sighs and the roaming gulls, the rustling trees and garden hoes stabbing at full, plump earth. The murmurs of passing way-goers and the rhythmic bass of singing craftsmen . . .

_'I must . . .'_

He decided then and there.

It was Time.

* * *

**(1-2)** _Medusa no Me_ (Eyes of Medusa) and _Akuma Kasumi_ (Demon's Mist) are two B-Rank Blind Genjutsu techniques taught to aspiring Jounin Genjutsu specialists. They are efficient and deadly, but as it is stated in the very beginning those who are trained in ANBU can easily dispel them, making them secondary fail-safe maneuvers.

**(3)** By this he means that the chakra signature may have stemmed off to provide confusion to those who sense it. (See Chapter 2, Note 2).

**(4)** A chakra well is a source of power used to temporarily boost the power and speed of a ninja. Technically, it is a larger vein of chakra stemmed from one's chakra (life) signature.

**(5-6)** The Tsurube-Otoshi is a creature of Japanese mythology. Sources say it is a disembodied head, while others depict it as a fireball, an _oni_ or _tengu_. "Tsurube-Otoshi" is an expression for 'falling quickly'; however, the Tsurube-Otoshi in _Sparda in Colossal_ (as is explained in Chapter Fourteen: "Price of Peddlers") falls horizontally, occupying a dimension outside of time and translating what is truly happening in the eyes of a ninja (i.e. Tsurube-Otoshi is speeding through the forest canopy, but it is actually falling in an endless dimension of subspace.

The Gyuuki is an ox demon of Japanese folklore, some of which are said to ward off evil spirits. The Gyuuki in _Sparda in Colossal_ is portrayed as a lionized bovine (see note 7) with exceptional sight and hearing through its ears, hooves, and horns. (This is further explained in Chapter Fourteen: "Price of Peddlers").

**(7)** The _Koma-inu_ is a lion of China believed to have mythical powers of protection. The statues of these creatures usually sit outside in front of palaces, temples, tombs, offices, or the houses of the wealthy.

**(8)** A C-Rank Doton Jutsu used by Kakashi Hatake. The_Doton: Shinjuu Zanshu Gekihou_ is an addition to the _Doton: Shinjuu Zanshu no Jutsu_ (Earth Style: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique), in which the user erupts from the earth with an uppercut. Its name translates to _Earth Style: Double Suicide Decapitation Strike Cannon_.

**(9)** A B-Rank Kenjutsu technique used by Juugo. Unlike Kakashi's _Tenkuuken_, the _Fuurinkiri_ is a non-elemental Jutsu generated with the Wind element. The _Fuurinkiri_ is also used as a 'last resort' technique to take down an opponent. However, the move costs the user's guard to be let down, creating a delay in bringing it back up (as is shown with Kakashi's _Karyuu Endan_ and Juugo's _Chakra no Gou-tate_). Its name translates to _Wind Wheel Slash_.

**(10)** A B-Rank Ninjutsu technique used by Juugo. The _Chakra no Gou-tate_ is a stronger version of the _Chakra no Tate_ (Chakra Shield) that can block larger and long-range attacks (such as Kakashi's _Karyuu Endan_). Its name translates to _Great Chakra Shield_.

**(11)** A C-Rank Aburame-ryuu Ninjutsu technique used by Shino Aburame. The_Mushi-Ami_ is utilized by calling forth a variety of insects with the use of chakra that attracts them to the wielder (note that only the Aburame clan can do this). When the insects gather the user launches them at the enemy. The _Mushi-Ami_'s purpose is to distract the opponent while the user's ally prepares to launch a damaging Jutsu. Its name translates to _Bug Net_.

**(12)** An A-Rank Mokuton Ninjutsu used by Yamato, also known as Tenzou. The _Mokusei Ori no Ginga_ is utilized by calling forth the tree roots in the earth to spring forth and pin down an opponent. Once the enemy has been captured the chakra in the roots absorb the chakra of the enemy. One can tell how much chakra has been drained by taking in the sight of buds blossoming into colorful flowers.Its name translates to _Wooden Cage of the Milky Way_.

**(13)** The Yato-no-Kami are snake gods of Japanese mythology believed to bring the fall of family lines to any who see them. The Yato-no-Kami in _Sparda in Colossal_ is portrayed as a Cerberus-type creature with three heads connected to one body. They are known to have great smell and sense of direction (explained in Chapter Fourteen: "Price of Peddlers").

**(14)** A B-Rank Ninjutsu technique used by Karin. The _Shinja no Mai_ is a separate chakra well branched off from the main well that boosts the strength, speed, and accuracy of the Yato-no-Kami. Its name translates to _Dance of the Sacred Snakes_.

**(15)** An A-Rank Ninjutsu, Fuuinjutsu, and Kuchiyose technique used by Sai. The _Ninpou: Zatoichi Basara_ is structured by a set of Kanji utilized in special ink. When the Kanji has been written onto the Summoning scroll, a touch of blood is required to activate the Seal Clone. One of the Clone's arm is a sword that is used to chip away an enemy ninja or summon's defense. Once the guard is crushed the Clone will attack and strike down the enemy (or, as it is not shown in this chapter, self-destruct).

Its name translates to _Ninja Style: Zatoichi Tear-Silk_. The name Zatoichi comes from the fictional character of the same name, a person who is blind but has keen hearing, sense of smell, and proprioception.

**(16)** An A-Rank (and possible S-Rank) Jutsu used by Naruto Uzumaki. The _Kage Bunshin Butai_ is nearly identical to that of the _Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_ (Multiple Shadow Clone Technique). The one difference that sets _Kage Bunshin Butai_ from _Tajuu Kage Bunshin_ is the use of a seal that can be placed on a tree, a pole, a building, etc. The Kanji _Butai_ ('echelon') is powered by both Naruto's normal and demonic chakra, spawning an infinite supply of Shadow Clones so long as Naruto has the capacity to produce that many Shadow Clones. Its name translates to _Shadow Clone Echelon_.

**(17)** A C-Rank Suiton Jutsu used by Suigetsu Hozuki. The _Suiton: Bakuhatsu Ryou_ is similar to that of the _Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu_ (Water Style: Grand Waterfall Technique), in which a large waterfall is created from a body of water to attack the opponent. As Suigetsu is (completely) made of water, he can summon the _Bakuhatsu Ryou_ from one of the water bottles he carries with him. The name translates to _Water Style: Erupting Finish_.

**(18)** An A-Rank Taijutsu technique modified by Sakura Haruno. The _Ura Gouwan_ is like the original _Gouwan_ (Strong Arm), but instead of a 'sucker punch' (as Sasuke calls it) it is a backhand swing used to incapacitate opponents or crush the opponent's guard. Its name translates to _Reverse Strong Arm_.

**(19)** A potential S-Rank Jutsu used by Sasuke Uchiha. The _Chidori Gou Nagashi_ is a modified version of the _Chidori Nagashi_ (Thousand Birds Current) in which in order to unleash its full strength, the chakra must be powered up via a Sharingan-induced chakra well. This makes the _Chidori Gou Nagashi_ an even more powerful and deadly technique. Its name translates to _Thousand Birds Strong Current_.


	5. IV: The Enigma

**Disclaimer :** All characters and places belong to Masashi Kishimoto, ©1999-2008. Any characters and/or locations not recognized in the _Naruto Shippuden _universe belong to Jennifer Nicole Siciliano, a/k/a Grand Phoenix.

_A/N: Hello again from the Grand Phoenix, and welcome to Chapter Four of "Sparda in Colossal"! Let me begin by thanking everyone who's marked this story in their favorites, alerts, and made their reviews. I was so happy with the feedback I got from Chapter Three that I decided to churn out the next installment._

_Also, I'm glad that everyone is showing their disbelief, shock, and anger on our Uchiha adversary. Why? Because it's EXACTLY how I wanted it to be. If you hate him now, just wait until Chapter Twenty-Three: "Mirage of 10,000 Flowers"!_

_Anyhow, before we start off, let me warn you that from here on out this story is going to become very deep and very complicated. The plot will start to unravel, bit by bit, through various subplots such as: Pein's quest for Assimilation, Tobi/Madara's significance in SIC, Itachi's role post-Chapter Nine, the mystery surrounding Sakura's 'white chakra', and so forth. Pay close attention to what the characters are saying and what items/places/people are mentioned. It's a bit much to swallow, but all in good time! If you think you can take on the task of sticking through the rest of "Sparda" (which, according to a plot outline I'm writing, shows it to be 40+ chapters), then I say to you, 'Good luck!'_

_(And another quick note: Come August 18 is my anniversary for being on FFNet for one year, so hurray for me!)_

_So please enjoy my latest installment. Constructive criticism and feedback are welcomed and appreciated._

* * *

_"And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."_  
-- Psalms 90:10

* * *

**Chapter IV**

** THE ENIGMA**

* * *

**THE SKY WAS AT ITS BLUEST, THE CLOUDS A SCATTERED BLANKET OF WHITE AND** grey. The leaves spoke, soft whispers rustling on windy trains. Birds sang of peace, of harmony, of uneventful days and warm summer nights unforgotten. Quietude was a sole resident, a lord of the realm of the living. To the untrained eye it was all and one, civil and sacramental in presence of body, heart, and mind.

He was racing across the field, pounding feet lost amidst shocks of knee-high grass. He waved to the person in the distance, recognizing her as a fellow ninja of the Leaf and a dear friend. His face was aglow with bright cheer, a smile spanning ear to ear, whiskers stretching as far as they could go. Blue eyes shined like stars in heaven as he yelled out, called her name as he drew ever closer.

"Sakura! Hey, Sakura! I'm so glad I found you; I've been looking all over the place!" He waved harder, fervently. "I've got coupons for a free meal at Ichi . . . . raku's . . . Ra . . . men . . ."

Suddenly he slowed to a halt. His arm fell at his side, and the coupons hung limply in his grasp. The goodness and well-being that was in him drained away, each drop of honey suckled from an invisible, metaphysical pipe until there was nothing left but a pale, gaunt face. He stood, lost and struck speechless as the omniscient silence wrapped him in a firm embrace.

The source of his spell did not acknowledge his entrance. Rather, she watched the clouds drifting across an endless blue, blocking the sun as they shuffled along. Such aspiring wonders they must have been, for nary a muscle budged save the locks of her ochre hair and crimson tunic. The white oval ring, the crest of the Haruno clan, gaped back at him, swallowing whole the Jinchuuriki into a plane of finite and infinite dimensions.

Minutes trudged on, and neither ninja moved. He could only watch, only stare, at his compatriot. He wondered and delved for the truth, ideas sprouting from those deep recesses locked away by space and time. He searched for that answer, probed at idle musings and fading threads of thought floating in that dark abyss, growing more intrigued and confused as the seconds ticked by. The words could not be formed, could not be forced out of his throat; and yet, he could only say what was in his eyes, what was on his mind and on the edge of nowhere.

". . . . . . Sakura?"

Her answer did not come. Whether she heard him or not, heard but ignored him he did not know. Her focus was rapt to the sky, to slumbering stars and the peering head of the moon. When he felt that he should repeat himself and question her condition, he opened his mouth to speak.

"--Naruto." His name stole away his ability to talk, knocked the wind from his lungs and deposited a cold, slithering sludge in his gut. Her voice carried a soft and wretched note, torn ragged and swept along rough seas until it braced the cold, hard sand of the shoreline. The sky above was somber grey, and rain poured upon a dead land bereft of warmth and sunlight.

The lack of emotion rooted him to the ground.

"Naruto," she repeated, "do you think . . . . we'll ever bring him back? Do you think it'll be worth it in the end? When it all comes down to it, will it be him that needs saving . . . or us?"

He swallowed thickly, licked dry lips with a parched tongue.

"I told him I would go with," she said, "to Orochimaru. Go with him because I couldn't stand being alone. Go with him because he didn't have anyone else. Go with him to get the strength he needed so he could kill Itachi and avenge his clan. I always worried about him, you know? Not because of this whole obsession, but because I truly cared for him. I didn't have many friends way back when, and every time I saw him he'd look so energetic and yet . . . so exhausted. He'd didn't have anyone to keep him company, but the thought of me being his company made me believe it would carry him on further. To greater things. To greater heights. We'd be through thick and thin together, brave Uchiha and humble Haruno. After all, we're more alike than he'd ever admit.

"But you know what bothers me? The fact that I couldn't stop him from leaving hurts the most." Her fists balled into tight fists and her shoulders tensed. "I should have been stronger. I should have been smarter. I should have done something about, but I was too damn weak to do anything! All I ever did was stand and gawk at him, watched him get picked up and tossed around like a rag doll. He almost died twice on me, and even then I did nothing to protect him! If I was just one iota stronger, just one iota faster, just one iota smarter, I could have saved him and he would still be here!"

She shook her head violently, teary droplets falling from her eyes. She sniffed hard. "I'm tired, Naruto. I'm so tired of being me, of being weak and defenseless. I want to make a name for myself. I want to prove to everyone that I can be as strong as them. I want to prove to them I can take on anything and everything, just so they'd know I would give it my all. And if not for that, then how else will I ever accept myself?"

She sighed, world weary and depressed. She turned her tear-stained face to her companion, the last friend she had of the shattered Team Seven, and it was then he saw the full extent of her injuries. Twin emeralds dully shone with their abysmal dimensions, and her frown was a field of desolation and hopelessness. A breeze kicked in, lifting those luminescent strands in tender waves, but even then it could not mask the sorrow the Haruno possessed.

"I don't want to be alone anymore," she said quietly, a lonely soul amongst the ruins of yearning.

His heart plummeted and his whiskers drooped, and the day no longer seemed a cheerful ceremony. He realized, to many a degree the guilt and shame his conscience rose, that before him was not the wise, pretty, and sarcastic cherry blossom of yesteryear. No, he thought. _This_ was the real Sakura Haruno: lost, confused, and sorely wounded Sakura Haruno of the Haruno clan. A leaf on a barren branch in the midst of winter eve, hanging on for dear life, until the chill gale gives a heavy sigh--

--until it falls without a sound, lifeless, effortless, into a consuming, white blanket of purgatory.

"Sakura," he croaked, fighting off tears of anguish, "I don't know the sort of life you went through . . . . or how you lived past those moments . . . but, whatever happens . . . you can't give up. You can't lose to it, because if you do . . . it'll just keep beating you down."

He clenched his hand into the tightest fist, his voice becoming stronger and clearer. "Don't let your Will of Fire go to waste! We still have enough time! To become stronger! To become wiser! To become whatever we wish to be! Dreams are the foundation of youth, and by the Gods I won't let anyone or anything crush it! I'll chase Sasuke from hell to back and drag his ass out of the dark and into the light!"

She gasped, blinking wildly. He loosened stiff muscles, his hand falling to his side. A fox-like grin quirked his lips. It was tired, but the pillars of strength still held in his dwelling spirit.

"I never break a promise. That is my Nindou."

It was the day Sakura vowed to no longer be afraid.

* * *

A cacophony of voices stirred Naruto from his slumber. As his vision cleared and composed itself he saw the recon team gathered round, hovering over him like curious crows. Their eyes fell upon his awakening, alarmed and relieved in their motions and sighs.

Naruto counted them off: Kiba, Akamaru, Shino, Hinata, Yamato-taichou, Kakashi-sensei, Sai, Sakura--

Naruto froze.

_'Sakura?'_

It struck him with the ferocity of a knife shoved between his ribcage. To his horror he remembered everything in stark clarity: their vulgar confrontation, their explosive battle, the final turnaround, and . . .

And . . .

_('Goodnight, Sakura,' a dull, monotone eulogy. 'Pleasant dreams.')_

"Sakura!"

He lunged forward, energy shooting in his veins like an addictive drug. Thoughts raged across his muddled mindscape, thundered loudly in time with the Kyuubi's irritated snarls. He needed to find her, search for her body. He may have thought she died, but there was still hope. She was a Kunoichi, a strong one at that! She had to be alive! Wounded, but still alive!

Naruto winced, pinched his eyes closed as pain sparked through his midriff. His hand clapped on his ribs, and his fingers poked at their structure. Fragile and broken; they were barely holding together. More so, his infinitesimal supply of chakra was unusually low, running on reserves meant to be used in the wake of emergencies and, very rarely, as a last resort.

A hand on his chest stopped him from moving. "Stay still, Naruto!" said the voice, and Naruto recognized it as Yamato-taichou. "We just finished healing the rest of your wounds. There's no need to go galivanting!"

"B-But . . . . Sakura--"

"We tried to," added Kakashi, appearing before Naruto's periphery. His eye closed halfway in a display of fatigue. "We searched her chakra signature, but there's nothing out there for miles on end."

"_Nothing?_" gritted the Jinchuuriki fearfully. "D-Did you even check the area?"

"We did that, too. Went down the cliff and into the ravine. Followed it all the way to the river and back. We didn't find her body, just minute traces of chakra." Kakashi sighed. "Naruto, I had everyone and the _ninken_ comb every inch of land, air, and water for the past five hours. I don't how to explain this."

Naruto shook his head. "No . . ."

"I'm sorry, Naruto. We did what we could do, but right now the best thing for us is to recover and resume our mission tomorrow morning--"

"NO!" the Shinobi cried, clawing fervently at his hair. "We can't abandon Sakura! I won't allow it! I WON'T!" Like the crack of a whip he jumped and pushed Yamato aside, making a mad dash for the cliff face.

"Naruto!" shouted Kakashi.

"N-Naruto-kun!" croaked Hinata.

Naruto ran, regardless of his teammates' callings. He leaped over the ledge of the cliff, and gravity rushed to meet him. Leaves of forestial green disappeared in cascading waterfalls. Blasts of air hissed and crackled as tree branches succumbed to the steely taste of slashing kunai. Above him, he could sense the auras of the reconnaissance unit trailing in impending pursuit.

He hit the ground on all fours and scrambled to his feet. Straight through a thicket he went, striking at protruding branches and chest-high patches of grass. He could hear their feet pounding, distant bass beats drumming. He could hear Akamaru bark in between loud pants. He could hear Yamato-taichou shout, but he ignored every detail his ears detected.

They were not important. No one was. Not Akatsuki, not Konoha, not Sasuke or his band of _nukenin_.

"Sakura!" he shouted from the top of his lungs. "SAKURA! _SAKURA!!_ Where are you!?" He had to find her. He had to! If they didn't couldn't find her body, then that meant she was somewhere. But where? Where could she be?

He took another step, but that was as far as he could go. A twisting branch snagged him by the foot, knocking him to the floor. Roots pinned him by his wrists and ankles, and Naruto struggled to escape their iron grip. Ragged sobs tore from his throat, bowing his head as tears spilled unchecked from red and blue irises.

"You bastard! You bastard! YOU BASTARD!" The Demon Jailor pounded his fists and ground his teeth. "You _fucking bastard!_"

_("You were always too weak to fend for yourself, too frail to do anything but stand there and cower in fear! You did nothing to contribute, nothing to salvage the pride and dignity of your clan and people! Always thinking better of yourself when you could have been training and resisting the elements the Gods had to offer! To kick the mud in your face and wipe the floor of you with their spit and grovel! But that isn't what a clan heir does, right? That isn't what the weak do, DO THEY?!")_

"Naruto-kun!" barked an irritable Yamato. "I don't care how you feel! You are going to stay with us! That's an order!"

_("Sasuke, this is ridiculous! You can't take him on by yourself! Look what happened last time--"_

_"Shut your trap, harlot!" The Chidori sparked in the Uchiha's hands. "Don't tell me what to do!")_

"You bastard . . ."

_("I didn't have many friends way back when, and every time I saw him he'd look so energetic and yet . . . so exhausted. He'd didn't have anyone to keep him company, but the thought of me being his company made me believe it would carry him on further. To greater things. To greater heights . . ."_

_("I don't want to be alone anymore.")_

"All she wanted was to be your friend, but you threw it away like you did with the rest of your life! All for power and a fucking blood feud!"

He could hear Kiba call him a dumbass for pulling off that ridiculous stunt. He could hear Hinata stutter and chide the Inuzuka boy for his rudeness. He could hear Shino say it was not his fault for doing such a thing; he did it out of fear that he would lose another one of his precious people. He could hear Sai release a heavy breath, mumbling something along the lines that Sakura shouldn't have gone after Sasuke, that she didn't look too good before and during the battle. He could feel the roots loosen their hold and return to the earth.

But he didn't care.

He felt himself being lifted off the ground and back on his feet. Kakashi told him there was enough daylight left to continue the search, told him that Sakura was an excellent medic-nin and that she could take care of herself, told him there was nothing to worry about.

But he didn't care.

_'Sasuke, I swear to the Gods before I bring you home, I'm going to KICK YOUR ASS.'_

Elongated nails nicked his palms.

He never broke a promise.

* * *

"Why? Why are you doing this to me? I didn't do anything--!"

A strangled cry, then a sickening thud.

"Don't lie to me! You know what you did wrong!"

A watery cough. "Sasuke--Agh!"

"Kill her! Next time you see her, kill her! Cursed Seal or no Cursed Seal, I want her _DEAD!_"

More screams erupted.

Karin turned to Hozuki. "Suigetsu, shouldn't we do something? This isn't right."

"I'm not gettin' involved. 'Sides, it's not my problem." He didn't need to look to see Karin frown.

He shrugged. "C'mon. Let's keep moving."

* * *

There was such a thing as immortality, that people knew and feared. Immortality was defined as a higher state of evolution, a cesspool which held all thought and perseverance of knowledge long forgotten and long remembered. There were those brave, bold, and foolish few who strove to obtain that absolute knowledge, and those who maintained that path often paid a very high price. Orochimaru of the Sannin was a famous example of losing and gaining everything the world had to show, and in return received a swift death in the form of his Uchiha vessel, his final obstacle in grasping unlimited power.

This immortality was not of power or youth or loss.

No. This particular immortality was drifting in inconceivable darkness, of sleepless eternity spent in indestructible loneliness.

Time was absent in this void. Directions and thoughts were alien concepts. Gravity was all-encompassing.

Ash and soil, when mixed together, provided a sort of taste akin to sandpaper. Hard, rough, and sticky, but for one reason or another she could not rid herself of its tacky scent. It was probably because the air was drenched in salt and incensed smoke. It was probably because the ground felt just right, smoothed out by glossy dew and beds of flowers. It was probably because the chuckling of water lulled her to a deep, well-deserved nirvana.

Or maybe it was because she saw the Sun shining down on her, and when she looked up at it she did not see the Sun but a small, white star.

She mustered every ounce of strength in order to blink, but that in itself was impossible. The gears turned slowly in her head, rust and metal groaning from disuse.

And then, an idea!

_'It's that star . . . . from before. What is that star? I must see it . . .'_

She focused her will on the twinkling diamond, erased every sense that felt the ground, heard the water, smelled the salt, tasted the ash and dust, and . . .

_(Awake)_

* * *

Sakura's eyes fluttered open into a world of blinding sunlight, greeting her with sweet birdsong and gentle winds. She lay there motionless, waiting for motor skills to be re-established.

_'What the . . . ? What happened?'_ She sat up on her elbows, shaking away a burdening tide of grogginess. She placed a hand upon her forehead as a trip-hammer headache passed with phantasmal grace. A good look at her surroundings told her she was in a glade of maple trees and lords of wood bearing spade-shaped leaves. _'Where am I?'_

But it came to her like a wraith rising from the deep. In the back of her mind she knew where she was. The scents and sights of her unconscious journey reared forth, and it dawned upon her in throbbing perseverance. The grass layered in silver dew drops; the crisp, clean breeze; the burbling water; the warble of insects.

Nature in harmony.

Sakura pushed off the tussock beneath her and rose shakily as she went. She glanced to and fro, behind and before her, when she realized that something was off. _'There's no chakra here. And if there's no chakra, then that means . . .'_

Panic blossomed in her heart. Why couldn't she feel it? What was going on? Before she could allow those primal reflexes to take control, an idea quickly formed. The Chuunin closed herself off to the world, eyelids clasped shut as she dipped metaphysical fingers into a riverbed of flowing chakra.

After a thorough analysis, she returned to the waking realm, relieved. _'Okay. So it's not my tenketsu and it's not chakra exhaustion. Aside from that headache, I feel perfectly fine. The lack of chakra must mean I'm far away from everyone else._

_'So then . . . how did I get here?'_ The question produced a very confusing riddle. Who brought her to the glade? Where was she before this? What lead up to her awakening? How far was she from the Konoha recon? What were they doing?

Sakura shook her head. _'It's no use. I can't remember a thing.'_ Looking up she saw a path of grass clipped shorter from the rest of the land, in which it left an opening in the line of trees. The question was, where would it take her?

She sighed. "I guess that's where I have to go."

And so she stepped onto the road, firm and plush beneath her _zori_, and entered the yawning entrance of the glade. It was a simple design that would lead its traveler to its destination, so simple because the trees bordered the road, their crowns bowed as if they were lowly sentinels. Early evening sunlight poured through the screen of odd leaves, gold curtains mirroring the Chuunin's shadows as dust motes danced and swayed in eternal bliss.

The path took a bend down a sloping hill into the shade of familiar, towering pine trees. Sakura used this initiative to calm her mind which, for some reason, was brewing turbulently over the horizon. With the essence of nature playing out in front of her, she soon succumbed to the tide of tranquility, inspecting with awe the simplicities the glade bestowed of without any need or care to hurry.

She ventured deeper. To her right the trees ended with a rocky wall continuing the march beneath them. From behind the shrubs that bordered the wall a stream cascaded from a tier of steps and disappeared into the copse. Sakura followed the curve of the water until the star-shaped canopies replaced the pine's conical structures. Somewhere high and far away, a bird twittered. Green orbs to the sky, the Leaf-nin blinked as it flew across the blue in her periphery. She stopped and watched, fascinated when she sought the strange shape it bore on its head. It seemed to be some sort of wavy crest, and it made her think of Naruto's wild blonde hair. But just as she saw it, the bird vanished. Sakura wished it had stayed longer, if only for a minute, but she did not dwell long on the issue before she resumed her task.

At last the ground leveled. It opened up to a vast and lustrous spring overflowing with a multitude of crystal clear rivers. Stones emerged from pools filled from these bodies, cut clean into grey pillars and sculpted with a symbol of two parallel lines intersecting a small circle. Bluebells and red lotuses dotted the wet banks in sparse beds. A draft of cool air ruffled the trees and kicked fallen leaves into motion.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Sakura felt that all too familiar pull, that burning ache. This place, this slice of paradise, had a certain dream-like quality. It was as if some giant hand would reach out from the vastness of nowhere and split apart the silhouette of reality and the astral plane. Such a thought made her feel she was being consumed by the weight of time itself, that life as she knew it was not of her own but the figments of someone else's imagination.

"Could it be that this is Svarga?" asked Sakura to the world. "Could it be that I am dead and no longer among the living? There's no chakra, no civilization, and no sense of direction." The tide of philosophical burden deepened. "So that it's, then. I'm dead. I'm--"

_(Alive)_

Her head jerked up, the ability to rationalize drawing a complete blank save for a single thought. Memories stirred, eyes opening to a truth.

_(. . . Sakura)_

The dark void, the wind, the images, the pillars and ash and smoke . . .

It was

all

coming

back.

_(Come here)_

Sakura looked around, searching for the source of the voice. The pull was becoming more insistent, restless. "Who's there?" she called aloud.

_(Follow me. Listen to my voice. Focus on your instincts)_

"Instincts?" Just as she said it, she recalled the lukewarm tug in her mind's eye. She recalled how she sought the star, a tiny white pinprick in eternity. The Konoha Chuunin honed in on the voice, clearing all thought and the music of nature. It did not come at first, but with great concentration the channel of energy opened like the pearly gates of heaven. As she had stated before, she could not sense any chakra whatsoever in the signature. Unlike chakra signatures and killing intents, which were heavy depending on the strength of a person, this energy was light and almost weightless.

It was as if an invisible road was making its presence known. Her mindscape showed her the shining way to a significantly large pool not too far from where she was standing. Confused but determined, Sakura made the quick trek over there. Her feet clicked marble tiles she hadn't noticed before and green portals pointed out columns marked with the same circular sigils found on the rocks. She stopped at the edge of the bank, taking in the sight of colossal waterfalls plunging from tiered steps.

She faced forward. "I'm here."

_(Good. I'm glad you're safe)_

"Where am I?"

_(This is my home, the Den of Rivers; an ancient place, where I have lived for many a century. I brought you in when death was near. I healed your wounds and watched you sleep. I was afraid you wouldn't make it, but I see you have pulled through)_

Sakura bowed her head, unsure of how to answer. "Thank you. I don't know why, but I feel that I should."

_(I see. You don't remember)_

"Remember? Remember what?"

_(The fight took much more out of you than anticipated. However, it is also the beginning of a great unraveling, of a long and arduous quest for the One Truth. I believe it is best for me to present myself so that you will understand at least an iota of what I am going to tell you)_

Sakura motioned to respond, but at that very moment the bird from before suddenly swooped out of the trees. It landed in the center of the pool, talons grazing the water's surface. Light consumed it and its shape changed and grew. She watched, spellbound, as the transformation sprouted a pair of arms, legs, and a head. Shortly thereafter the light tapered off, leaving behind an aura of white energy.

Sakura's mind switched into overdrive. This wasn't Henge. This wasn't Kawarimi. This was not Shinobi-jitsu in any form. In place of the bird was a young, robust man clad in a white smock-frock and breeches. On his face was a mask bearing the image of a wolf elegantly carved into the wood, and from dark eyeholes grey orbs stared into viridian discs.

"Hello, Sakura," greeted the man.

The words were there, balancing on the tip of her tongue. Sakura tried to force them out, but the sheer shock of everything that had occurred and lead up to now made her drop the bomb that was sizzling away inside her head. ". . . What are you?"

The stranger inclined his head. "I go by many names, some of which are lost to the vacuum of time. I hold no true name save the one I have been bestowed with. By that name you may call me Sparda, the One and Many."

* * *

Sasuke was in a foul mood, and the aura he projected was more colder and sinister than it had been in the previous hours. He sat with his back to his teammates, his sword planted in the soft flesh of the earth. The _tomoe_ whirled lazily in their crimson prisons, whereas said prisons were burning metaphorical holes at the plentiful forest.

No one wished to encroach the brooding Uchiha, especially Juugo. He was left to himself, nursing grievous wounds that would have killed a normal Shinobi. The two men did not exchange words nor acknowledge one another, so in the thick fog of silence their two remaining passengers conversed.

"I've never seen him like this," said Karin. Her chin was nestled in the palm of her hand, her brow screwed in thought. "It's just so strange of him to blow up on us, and for what? Because we didn't kill anybody? Hell, they were practically on par with us! . . . So why'd he take it out on Juugo? What did he do to deserve it?"

"Juugo's a fucking pacifist," said Suigetsu. He was sprawled on a low branch, sharpening a kunai on a whetstone. "He won't lift a finger unless Sasuke says so."

"But that's what I want to know," replied Karin, lifting her head. "I want to know what caused him to falter. Sasuke wasn't around to subdue the Cursed Seal, which means something happened during the time the Seal activated and the time before he came back to the field."

"Sasuke's pissed 'cause Juugo didn't have the balls to kill this girl."

"Kill? Kill who?"

"That chick, Sakura. The one who decked me before I could get to the Jinchuuriki."

"I don't recall seeing that," said Karin, "but how do you know of this Sakura?"

Suigetsu shrugged. "I hear him murmuring in his sleep. Seriously, the guy has some messed up dreams. Says things along the lines of killing the Haruno for betraying them, slitting their throats and torturin' them for their crimes, whatever they are."

Karin scoffed. "Here's coming from someone who enjoys seeing others in pain."

"It's random, but it's better than listening to him mumble that revenge shit."

"Ah."

"But you know what?"

"What?"

"Sasuke wanted to kill her. Think about it. He left us to distract those Leaf-nin while he made a beeline for the Estate, but somehow they find out where he's goin'. So Sakura and some other Konoha-nin went after him. They tussled and Sasuke managed to dispose of her. Later on, though, Sasuke must have realized that his killing blow wasn't strong enough, so he turned on the most likely person who last fought Sakura."

Karin's eyebrows shot up. "Juugo."

"That's right. With the Cursed Seal's power tapped, he may have unintentionally told her where Sasuke was headin'. And _now_ Sasuke's upset because . . ."

". . . Sakura's still alive." The chakra specialist looked to Suigetsu, quizzically. "This could get bad. What if she becomes a threat?"

"She already is, Karin. To Sasuke; not so much to us." He pointed the kunai at her. "I give her props, though. She fucking knocked me out cold in one punch, and that takes a lot to put me off. Yeah, she's a bitch for doin' that, but she's a tough bitch regardless."

"What makes you think Sakura is a threat to Sasuke?"

"Dunno. Maybe she did somethin' to him back in the day. Maybe their clans were at war with each other. I can't say, but whatever the reason Sasuke will stop at nothing to get what he wants. It's all in the name of death, vengeance, and power. And he'll kill us if it comes to the point where we may become a hindrance to his plans."

The finality of that last statement made Karin's gut clench terribly. She couldn't imagine the Snake leader throwing away his efforts after spending days on the road searching for his desired ninja. What use would they be if Sasuke got to Itachi and murdered them before having the chance to enacting their worth? Would he really put age-old crimes before his bitter battle with the Uchiha executioner?

Suigetsu did not wait for her to respond. He tucked the kunai in his hip pouch and stretched his limbs with a large yawn. "Whatever. I'm not afraid o' death. I'll go out with a bang if I have to. Anyway, I'm gonna hit the sack. Take the watch until they get back in touch with reality."

Karin moved to protest, but the _nukenin_ had already fallen sound asleep. Embraced in awkward silence, she looked to her other two teammates. One, who was plotting the deaths of his brother and former comrade; and one, who was wallowing in the smog of his guilt-ridden conscience and the horrific power that resided in him. Neither moved from their seats.

The chakra specialist exhaled, slouching further into the boulder that was her perch.

Tonight was going to be a long night.

* * *

Kakashi turned his gaze to the sky. The sun had now disappeared over the hills to the east, and the stars were just starting to show. Two hours had passed. Two hours of scouring scrubland, grassland, rivers, treetops, and underground caves.

And no Sakura.

He scratched the bottom of his chin. Where could she have gone? Naruto had told them earlier that Sasuke dropped her helpless form down the cliff face. From the recon's previous search the residue of Sakura's chakra ended in a copse of maple trees enclosing a mound of stone partially unearthed. Up to this point, the trail was up in the air.

Naruto begged, _pleaded_ to keep going, keep searching. Yamato was adamant on calling it off. Kakashi felt bad for his whiskered pupil, felt the same pain when he lost Obito, Rin, and Minato-sensei, so he insisted on continuing the search. Now, he wasn't so sure.

"Alright, everyone, that's enough," called Kakashi to his unit. "Time to call it a night."

"What? But we can't!" cried Naruto. "Sakura's still missing!"

"Naruto, all we've been doing is going in circles," said Kiba. "It's gonna be that much harder if we keep lookin' for her in the dark. We don't have X-ray vision!"

"H-He's right, N-Naruto," added Hinata. "We still n-need to recuperate. There's a-always tomorrow."

Naruto frowned, shoulders slumping in unbridled defeat. "But . . ."

"We'll stake out here tonight," said Kakashi, holding up a hand, "and in the morning we'll figure out what to do from there." To the rest of the team he said, "Everyone get some rest. We'll take turns an hour on the dot, so I'll start first. Those who wish to precede afterwards, let me know."

With that said he walked away, and the Konoha reconnaissance dispersed and set camp. In the midst of the activity Naruto stood, motionless and unresponsive. A deadened testament to a black and white world, he could only watch his old Sensei make his departure.

Having seen him grow morose before his very eyes, Kakashi frowned from behind his mask. _'Naruto . . .'_

* * *

Sakura raised an eyebrow. Sparda? The One and Many? "And who, exactly, are you trying to make yourself out to be?" she voiced her skepticism.

"None but myself," said the man. "I am a god."

"Gods don't walk among us."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"It's a rule. Gods reside in heaven, mortals on earth."

"Ah, so that must mean I am the breaking the rule." the man intoned amusedly. Though she could not see it, Sakura could literally _feel_ His smile touch the fabrics of her soul. "However, there is a fine line between what is real and what is not, what constitutes the whole Truth and nothing but. The world you know now and the world you _will_ know are as different than you will ever expect it to be."

"What do you mean?" asked Sakura.

Sparda rubbed His chin thoughtfully. "It is in a matter of speaking that you have endured a terrible plight. You were ensnared by the Uchiha, who has been plotting your fall since the days of the Snake Sannin. He left you for dead when you were at your most vulnerable in a graveyard long forgotten by man. Your team was pursuing him to his ancestral home."

"That's right," Realization dawned upon her, eyes carrying a far-off look as the events prior to her coming unraveled. "I remember now. Sasuke . . . we were to trying save him, tried to bring him back. He attacked us . . . and he . . . wanted to kill me." She frowned. "But why would he? We were teammates. He was my friend, my brother. What did I ever do to deserve his hate?"

"You did nothing of the sort. Rather it is your clan he is directing his anger at. It is what happened those centuries ago that caused the rift between the Haruno-Uchiha alliance."

"But it was _centuries ago_," stressed the Chuunin. "Whatever happened in the past is over and done with, right? There's no reason to stay mad forever."

"Unfortunately, that is not so. He is right when he says there is much more than what he lets on. History often covers up whatever truths are deemed too dangerous to be known by the public ear. As such a lesser truth is contrived to prevent knowledge of the real story from ever coming to fruition. If an escape were to be made, the world would be thrown into chaos."

"Then what do I do? I don't want to fight Sasuke."

"I know. He thirsts for power inconceivable. He wants to avenge the clan who fell beneath their own hand. He will stop at nothing to get what is rightfully his."

Sakura nodded. She had seen the root of his ambition, felt the killing intent blind her as he cut and wounded her with an ambivalent sense of survival. Now caught in a conspiracy she had no clear knowledge of she knew, to a certain degree, the extent of the Last Uchiha's sole mission.

However, a question sprang to life. It caught her unawares and pulled her into a peculiar vortex. How could have Sparda known what was going on? How did He obtain this wealthy amount of knowledge and history?

Unless . . .

No. He couldn't have!

But Sakura wanted to know, wanted to hear from this obscure god. So she put the question into words and demanded an answer, the whole truth. Curious as she was, she couldn't keep the dangerous lilt slipping from her tongue.

The One and Many sighed. "You catch on very quickly. Nevertheless, you deserve the right to know. You see, Sakura, my mission is to reveal to the Elemental Nations history's One Truth. Time and time again I have seen important events become shrouded in lies. Anecdotes are told to an audience who do not know the whole of a story; they believe it and write it off as a fact of life. But that is not all. The lesser truths that I speak of are not always what they seem to be. Some are good for the benefits of mankind while others threaten the existence of those surrounding the nature of a truth. The One Truth, on the other hand, is neither. It holds secrets that many clans and nations will refuse to accept. It holds mysteries that have never come to light. There are people who know of the One Truth, and those who acknowledge the purpose of their land's creation are shunned by the vast majority who censor it.

"You're wondering how all this pertains to you. As a matter of fact, it does. I needed someone to help me carry out my wish. I needed someone with an open mind and heart to look beneath the underneath and listen well what goes unheard." He paused, gathering His thoughts, allowing Sakura to absorb the info. Then, after a period of silence, He said: "I will not lie to you, Sakura. What I did to you was unforgivable and impermissible. The aches you felt during your chase was a result of me intruding your memories and instilling my energy, this white chakra, into your _tenketsu_."

"You what?!" Sakura ground out accusingly. Her eyes hardened and an icy glare was sent His way. Sparda remained unfazed. "You did that? Why? What gave you the incentive to do such a thing? Do you enjoy seeing me in pain while I have no fucking clue what the hell is going on with my body? Do you? Well whatever you're planning, I don't want to be a part of it! I don't want to know this half-baked shit you call the One Truth! What makes you think it _is_ the Truth to everything? For all we know it could be the greatest lie ever made! People refuse it because it's false! _They_ saw how the nation came to be! _They_ saw the Hidden Villages rise! _They_ saw wars and death! Most of all, _you_ weren't _there_! So how would you know history if no one's ever _heard_ of you?"

"You don't have to love me, Sakura," said the masked god of springs in an even tone. The water beneath his feet rippled lightly. "You don't even have to believe in me. All I ask for you is to trust me and be my Bearer of Truths. Help me show the world what it really means to be human."

The Leaf-nin's anger was doused at those words, and fire hissed upon water's embrace. Somehow, the way He phrased it touched a cord in her being. He seemed . . . contrite, to request her of such a large task.

"But why me?" she offered lightly. "Why choose me of a lowly clan? Why not someone who is more prominent, more useful? Why not give that person your energy, whatever it does?"

Sparda averted His gaze from the approaching twilight, the rays of sunshine having already descended into the horizon. He smiled wearily. "It is a long story, one of which you are not yet ready to hear. In time you will learn, but today is only a new beginning. The hour grows late, so the least I can do is take you back to your friends."

Light encompassed Him once more, and when it faded Sakura looked not into the wooden face of a wolf but that of a silver-striped tiger. The One and Many stepped out of the water and walked past the Kunoichi. "Come. I know of a path that will lead you right back toward the Uchiha Estate."

Sakura had nothing else to say. She nodded, for she wished to see her companions and former teammates and comfort them of their worries for her. She wished to know the full truth of her brother's plot, of memories unspoken and hidden, of the Haruno-Uchiha alliance that crumbled so long ago. She wished to know of Sparda, of His secrets, of the One Truth, of what lay behind the mask holding two grey diamonds.

But not today. She would have to wait. Right now, all that mattered was the Konoha reconnaissance team. All that mattered was coming home.


	6. V: Crest of Starshine

**Disclaimer :** All characters and places belong to Masashi Kishimoto, ©1999-2008. Any characters and/or locations not recognized in the _Naruto Shippuden _universe belong to Jennifer Nicole Siciliano, a/k/a Grand Phoenix.

_A/N: First off, I want to thank everyone for keeping with me so far. This chapter turned out much longer than I intended for it to be, but the good thing is you get to hear a story from Sparda, the One and Many. It's something that will be a prominent theme and occurence throughout the story. Second, there's a poll on my profile asking what fanfic epic I should write alongside SIC. What would you like to see something familiar (like Roar of the Earth and Antiman) or outside the Naruto fandom?_

_Third, I'm in the midst of creating a C2 Archive dedicated to the best high-quality Sakura-centric stories where she has the most time and kicks the most ass! If you know any fanfics that you think belongs to the Archive, please let me know. All that I ask is that it mustn't be SasuSaku (the Grand Phoenix does not approve!), not unless Sasuke plays an important role as he does in SIC (which is not SasuSaku in any way)._

_So please enjoy. Constructive criticism is welcomed and reviews are appreciated._

* * *

_"What are ye orbs? The word of God? The Scriptures of the sky?"_  
-- Philip James Bailey

_"If one is master of one thing and understands one thing well, one has at the same time, insight into and understanding of many things."_  
-- Van Gogh

* * *

**Chapter V**

** CREST OF STARSHINE**

* * *

**THROUGH THE CURRENTS OF HEAVY RAIN PEIN LEVELED A GLARE AT HIS FORMER** Sensei. The Rin'negan contracted as his eyes hardened in narrow slits. "So you know of them. I'm not surprised. Your research is usually bound to other interests."

Jiraiya-sennin chuckled. "I suppose so, but as you can see I find it to be a valuable well of information. It's not everyday a discovery this momentous is made."

"People won't believe in it." said Akatsuki's pseudo leader. "They have Kami and the Rokudo Sennin to assuage their doubts and suspicions. History is fickle because humanity made it that way. They will not accept them, no matter how significant they may or may not be."

The Toad Sage nodded somberly. "Aye, that's true. People are warrant to be tight with what they see as fact as opposed to fiction. They like to think the lessons they learned from their elders and sires are true and absolute. They fear of change and revolution. Therefore they quarrel amongst another, spilling needless blood over one's interpretation of the world."

"And because of that people will continue to die," spat Pein contemptuously. "They'll never learn from their mistakes."

"Unfortunately so, but you are right on one thing. The lives of many may be accosted to the life of one; a radical, if you will. But there are those select few out there who are smart. They understand what's beneath the underneath and, given time, accept what lies behind that veil of obscurity. Others may not because they fear the impact the truth will have on them. That and because the history they've been taught is thoroughly ingrained in their memory. Who is to say all they've known has been one big cover-up by the Village Council? Who is to say we're blinded by our own hindsight? In the end, maybe we're a little bit clueless."

Pein snorted. "I know who is: people. People who won't stop fighting because it's wrong. People who won't let go of the past because it doesn't solve anything. I plan to make sure they don't lift a single finger after I'm through with them."

Jiraiya canted his head to the side. "And how will you do that? Gathering the Bijuu for your own gain won't make life any better. A bomb does not solve problems; it just makes more."

"And if that doesn't work I'll erase them. With my eyes and these hands I'll cleanse the world in one clean swipe and rule it as it should have been ruled eons ago." The Rin'negan user clenched his fists. "They won't dare to usurp me."

"The outcome will be the same. It won't change anything save the imbalance of what you summon, and when that happens the implications will be consequentially dire."

"That is something everyone will have to face. Those who are weak to accept change will fall by change. _I_ will write history."

"As will many others. You aren't the only one."

"Oh? And who would that be?"

"People who aren't afraid of change," said Jiraiya firmly. "People who take change in stride and use the brilliance of knowledge to grow and mature into warriors, leaders, philosophers, the like. People who will fight against their own destinies to change destiny as to how it should be and what will be for the betterment of mankind. For change to be change they'll put everything that is precious to them on the line and chase the dream that is so close and so far away, even at the cost of their very lives."

A smirk stretched his lips. "I happen to know people who are just like that. Strong, willing, and determined people. They'll do whatever it takes to fulfill their one true goal, no matter how dangerous and risqué it is. Because once a promise is made they never turn their back on it. That is how Nindou should be, as a friend once told me."

Pein closed those mystical orbs, a look of calm contemplation on his face. "Is that so? Well then, Jiraiya, the next time you see this friend of yours I'd like you to let him or her know that a Nindou of Virtue is a weak and incalculable charter that will ultimately lead to one's downfall. My hand shall strike them in their place and my word impose fear of a most painful and absolute punishment I shall see fit, should they dare rise against me."

"Not all villains have their heyday," quoted the Sannin. "You who were ill-treated and discontent with your way of life should know that."

"And I do," responded the red-haired _nukenin_. He opened his eyes to the drenched metropolis, to the broken, smoking skyscrapers, to the flimsy paper wings left in Konan's wake and the haphazard array of footprints in the muddy soil, to the man he once called Sensei. "I intend to do away with these brittle bones and construct in its place a New Order fit only for the strongest of strong men. As for the rest? . . . Let nature take its course. I shall be unsurpassed."

"Then let's find out." Jiraiya's hands clasped together in the familiar Tiger seal. "It's a pity I have to put down you down, Nagato. You could have used your power for good, but I know now you have no intention to do so."

Pein, too, folded his hands into signs. "The life I lead before is no more. The world as we know it is beyond saving." And then, a flash! as his fingers flew through various sets of complex symbols. "I'll make sure to give you a proper death."

Nothing more was said. Thunder boomed overhead and rain poured ever harder, followed by a deafening crash.

Their battle continued.

* * *

Madara Uchiha landed on the bough, the energy signature pulsing sinuously in his veins. His head snapped up and turned east, the direction of where it was originating.

A sly smile stretched across his lips. "So . . . you've finally come out of hiding and found yourself an apprentice. It's been a long time coming."

He hummed thoughtfully. Madara bent his chin and scratched loose bits of bark from curious fingers. "But it seems the person you chose is on the weak side of building an immunity towards negative natural energy." He shook his head. "What a shame. How do you ever expect to defeat me with that sort of backup?"

High above, a peregrine falcon's shadow winged from out of the clouds and cawed.

"No matter. At this moment your apprentice is far from being a formidable opponent, much less able to ward off psionic attacks. It's in my best interests that when we meet again on that fateful hour, your efforts to thwart my motives will all be for naught.

"Until then," said the Uchiha as he rose to his feet, "I will await your Challenge." He jumped from his perch and was gone, as if he had never been there in the first place.

* * *

Elsewhere, in a place Outside Time and In Between, the great-horned owl was preening its plumage. Having finished smoothing out the last of the bushy feathers, it puffed its chest and beat its great wings. Unlike its master, it did not bode well with the patience it was presented upon His absence. But it would wait, if only because the One and Many had finally found who He was looking for to help carry out His Life-long Mission.

On a platform to the owl's left and under the glass dome ceiling stood a tree tall and healthy, its green-blue spade-shaped leaves whispering in an invisible wind. Light fell upon the princely wood, embracing it in an ethereal, umber glow.

One of the branches shuddered and out popped a white bird with a wild crest and long tail feathers. It touched down next to the fallen leaf, its yellow talons grazing the surface of the pool. The body rippled and echoed loudly in the domain, but the leaf did not move from where it sat, bobbing gently along the waves.

The bird was pleased with what it saw. Chirping happily it clutched the stem in its beak, took flight and disappeared into the foliage with nary a sound.

The owl, having watched the scene unfold, hooted and nodded its head once.

Good. Very good.

* * *

Sakura grasped the jutting shelf of the rocky steppe and pulled herself up onto the ledge. Above her Sparda lead the way, climbing the empty ravine's 'stairway' one at a time. He waited for her, often sparing a glance over His shoulder as she slowly conquered the large, massive steppes.

The Kunoichi was grateful it wasn't out of annoyance that she was taking a while to keep pace with the shape-shifting god. He had said that patience was needed when it came to traversing the Den of Rivers, for the realm was vast and labyrinthine. It would be very easy for her to get lost (as she was the first human to ever set foot), and that was something He did not want to happen after awaking from her earlier battle.

As Sakura had learned, the path to the Uchiha Estate was long and laborious. Sparda showed her a path hidden in the shrubs not far from the springs, and pushing them aside revealed marble tiles carved into the cliff. The floor rose and wound along a copse of those woods bearing the star- and spade-shaped foliage. They trekked under the wavering shadows the trees cast, the silence brimming with the roar of white-water rapids in the distance.

The scent of salt and fish grew stronger the closer they got. To say it was a refreshment from the blood and sweat of combat would be understatement. Sakura found it clean and pleasant and often took deep breaths to memorize its distinct flavors (one which she detected in the air a tinge of lavender). If Fate were to have its way she would like stay in the realm just a little bit longer. Truth be told she didn't have to leave, not when she was far from politics and responsibilities . . . .

She shook her head. It was impossible to escape reality. A short time, yes, but duty's call had to be answered at some point.

There were more important matters at hand. Getting back to her team was her first priority, and once she returned they would resume the mission that was assigned to them: Locate Akatsuki and bring Sasuke back to Konoha.

The ground had leveled out as Sakura and Sparda crested the outer wall of the river. The road curved to the left, sheltered by shorter trees in coats of slate grey and teal-colored crowns. A wide, green vista could be seen through the leafy boughs, stretching in both directions across the horizon. To the Chuunin it was a view that left her breathless and awed. However, that feeling gradually dimmed when she saw the ruins: broken statues and pillars leaning against walls smashed in. Though what made her question the scene before her were two traits the constructions shared: they were marble and bore the same glyph marked on the god's mask.

What exactly was this place, this den Sparda called home? Could this have been a landmark wiped off the maps by war or disease or ecological phenomena? Could this have once been a Clan Estate? The thoughts Sakura conjured were farfetched, as she knew that the Clans associated with Konoha were built from wood and brick and not marble. Furthermore, she did not recognize the sigil from anywhere in any of the scrolls and books she had read in the Hokage's private vault.

Again, she wasn't sure how to phrase the inquiries that were boggling her mind. Some day she would know where she lay in His mission of revelation. It was when Sparda called her name did she set aside those mysteries and deal more with the basics that she wanted answers to.

They were on the road for a good two hours, paving through springs possessing the purest of water and green weeping willows, crossing valleys blanketed by clouds of fog and mist, pressing deep into cool cavernous chambers bathed in an aurorae of lights dully reflected by buried minerals and jutting crystal and tapping slow metronomic beats by dripping stalactites. The sun was just setting when they reached the ravine, and the last amber rays filtering through the foliage as Sakura climbed the top steppe and rose to her full height.

She trailed right behind Him.

Around the bend the trees ended and circled a round meadow. Dotting the green were sitting stones, dark blue pillars wrapped in moss and a large pond in the center. Birds and ducks of various kinds loitered the place, from grazing the clipped grass to bathing in the water to resting in the shade. And what strange creatures they were! Sakura didn't recognize any of them save the avian with the white headcrest singing with its fellows somewhere up in the branches.

So she asked Sparda, "What are these birds? I've never seen them before."

The tiger slowed His stride until He was walking next to Haruno. "It depends on which kind you are talking about. These are the birds I keep in the haven north of the Den's Spring. The one by the pond is called a goose." He lifted His head, gesturing to a creature with a black head and brown feathers honking to its flock. "The one over there sitting next to the tree is a mallard." He pointed to a green-headed duck looking out at its surroundings. "And this bird, the one whose form you saw at our introduction, is the sulphur-crested cockatoo." Then to a small white thing on the floor, hopping and pecking as it searched for a hearty meal of earthworms.

The words were foreign, but Sakura took the liberty to memorizing them. _Goose_, _mallard_ and _cockatoo_. There were other avian the god named, but these three were easily distinguished of their appearances. (Ironically the cockatoo reminded her of Kakashi-sensei. Even their names and color were alike, but she kept this thought to herself.) He even told her they were part of a vast animal kingdom that once roamed the continent after the rise of individual Clan powers and pre-dating the first wars that drew the borders of the countries existing today. Most of the Old World, as He so called them, had been wiped out by blood feuds, wandering Bijuu (then belonging to their own tribes) and Yokai (this was the name Summoning Beasts possessed before their eternal pact with God and the Devil sealed their fates into creating the two milestones of Jutsu evolution: Kuchiyose and Fuuinjutsu). What was left of them He took under His wing and placed them in havens (like the Den of Rivers) scattered across the Shinobi nation where they could breed in captivity and increase their numbers.

They then left the sanctuary and came upon an intersection splitting three ways, one that lead to higher ground, one that continued straight and one that dipped sharply to the right. The pair trekked the leftmost path, wary of the steep incline before them.

"Sparda," said Sakura after a period of quietude, "you say I'm not ready to hear the reason of why you chose me as your Bearer or why the Haruno and Uchiha Clans fell into dissent. I understand that we've just met, but what else can you tell me of the Old World?" She hesitated. "That is, what can you tell me that isn't dangerous?"

The god hummed thoughtfully, a low growl vibrating in His throat. "Let's see . . . . Ah! I know just the tale!"

"What is it?"

"Sakura, in this world you have important historical figures. You have gods such as Kami and Rokudo-sennin who were said to have created the land and the air and sea. You have Bijuu and Summoning Beasts to respect and fear. You have heroes like the Yondaime Hokage and men with shrouded pasts like Madara Uchiha. There are also the Akatsuki and the Densetsu no Sannin who inspire acts of both good and evil. But long before any of them existed, there was the Juuyon Seijin."

"The Fourteen Saints?" translated Sakura. "Who were they?"

"The Juuyon Seijin was a group of lesser gods from all walks of life. The time in which it was founded was a ruthless era. Before ninja were soldiers of the government they were mercenaries and hunters often looking for money, fame and women to survive in a bloody, chaotic world. Back then there were outpost towns, housing civilians and laborers in hopes that they could protect them from the dangers beyond their walls, but any form of order would quickly fall into anarchy. No place was safe."

They approached the top of the incline where it ended at the banks of a massive river. It was dammed by an ancient stone bridge some one hundred feet away, slipping through what little room there was and dropping over the edge. Stepping stones peered above the raging surface away from the blockade leading to the other side.

The silver tiger paused, crouched and jumped onto the first stepping stone. Taking the second stone, He spared a glance and waited until the Kunoichi crossed.

"But the Juuyon Seijin had a purpose," Sparda shouted, "and that was to help the weak and innocent to the best of their abilities. They would come to those in dire need and offer their servitude until they were out of harm's way. This started a utilitarian system between god and mortal. If one so wished to require the assistance of the Saints, they would first have to sign a contract presented by a Saint who accepted the request. After signing the contract they would place their hand upon the Seal, the Katakana character for 'strength', and absorb a sliver of the Saint's power."

"That sounds a lot like making a Pact with a Summoning Beast." noted Sakura.

"It is similar, but instead of using Kuchiyose no Jutsu they relied on a primitive style of Senjutsu, in which one's strength comes from the natural energy around you and not chakra, the energy that is within a person's body. With this new vitality flowing in their veins, people managed to overcome obstacles and escape death from wandering bandits and criminals. The Saints were Servants to their Masters and they were always there, for there was always more than one way to be of help. After their Masters were delivered to safety the contract between them would be fulfilled and the Saint would leave to find more humans that called for help."

"So what happened after that?"

She did not see the grim, saddened look flitting across the feline's face, but she took the pause as Him delving through His memories. "The Juuyon Seijin served their Masters for many millennia in war and famine. It was only when a degree of modicum settled over the self-imposed boundaries of border towns and outposts did they leave the humans to their own devices. Their purpose was met, but it left the Saints weary and exhausted. They disbanded, promising that if trouble should ever arise to the point where it could not be controlled by mortals, they would reawaken from their slumber."

Landing on dry soil, the god shook Himself off the layer of mist. Sakura hopped to His side, wringing out the wetness from her shirt and hair. Staring up into her eyes, Sparda gave a small smile. "The rest of the story is for Fate to decide." He studied the darkening sky. "We are almost there. Stay close to me, Sakura. I do not wish to lose you when we cross the approaching labyrinth."

And He was true to His word. The Chuunin matched her footsteps with His, and together they slowly trekked the winding passages. There were hedges trimmed and tall, coolly shadowing its visitors, and long thorny vines (_bramble_, they were called) looped round tree trunks, tangled webs in shrubs and speared the floor in parabolas.

When darkness fell an hour later Sparda motioned her to walk ahead of Him, for they had reached the end of their journey. Bushes and low-lying branches blocked the exit of the realm, and they were so tightly knotted that she could not move them. The tiger stepped forward and pressed a paw to its center. As if it was a spell from the legendary Mokuton bloodline wood and leaf withdrew to reveal an opening. This was a way of manipulating natural energy, said the god; with the 'white chakra' He injected in Sakura, she would in time be able to learn how to mold and manifest it.

"Behold, Sakura," He announced, "the Crest of Starshine."

The view was breathtaking. The Crest of Starshine was a big green hill towering the Den as the Hokage Monument overlooked Konohagakure no Sato. Trees sporadically dotted the tiny shelves and the knoll's crown, but what caught the Kunoichi's eye were the stars. There were hundreds, no, _thousands_ of them glimmering silver in the clear night sky. All those countless bodies in heaven, and a few shot across the cobalt robe and disappeared like age-old phantoms crossing purgatory.

"It's beautiful," she whispered.

"Your friends are beyond the Crest. Enter the forest at the top and follow the path all the way through. Oh, and Sakura?"

"Hm?"

"Always look beneath the underneath. Question everything around you. The truth may be closer than you think." The girl nodded absently, too mesmerized to speak.

He smiled softly. _(Goodnight, Sakura.)_

"What?" Snapped from her reverie Sakura spun around . . . only to find Sparda was gone. She blinked rapidly. _'How did He . . . . ?'_

But it didn't matter. Her team was near. Straight ahead; that was where they were.

_'I'm coming, everyone.'_

She hurried for the Crest.

* * *

Though Kakashi-sensei insisted Naruto couldn't fathom going to sleep, not while his teammate was wandering lost and alone. Their search was fruitless, hardly bearing any evidence that Sakura was ever in the ravine. From Kiba's complaining to Yamato's bickering they dropped it and went about setting up the last of their camp.

Naruto had been on watch for three hours, and not once did he move from the tree he leaned against. Toward Kiba's protesting remarks he gave him the cold shoulder. Toward Hinata's plea to let someone else take the shift he told her he would not budge until Sakura was discovered. And toward Yamato, who threatened to have the Hokage remove him from all future missions with any Jounin squad, he merely said: "Go ahead." (Though he was starting to wonder _why_ the ANBU was so uncharacteristically angry about his worrying. It wasn't Naruto's fault he cared for his friend's safety.)

So he was standing at his post, thinking, while Teams Seven and Eight slept under the star- and spade-shaped leaves. He considered it odd such shapes would be borne on those woodlords, but his attention was quickly replaced by the thought of Sakura. What was she doing right now? Was she healing her wounds? Was she on the road feeling for their chakra signatures? . . . Or was she still lying in cold grips of unconsciousness? No, he couldn't let it bother him. He had already vented most of it on his team, specifically Kakashi-sensei and Yamato-taichou. There was no need to cause more trouble.

Still he worried, and with his senses heightened he heard the sound of a twig cracking. Blue portals widening, he whipped a kunai out from his sleeve into his hand. "Who's there?!" he cried, waking the recon.

A voice replied from afar: ". . . Naruto?"

The Shinobi felt his heart stop. He swallowed thickly. "Sakura . . . ?" The knife fell from his grasp.

"Naruto!" came the elated, familiar tone. Footsteps crashed through the undergrowth and, to everyone's surprise, a pink-haired Konoha-nin popped out, worn and out of breath. "Everyone . . ." She doubled over and clapped her knees. "I-I'm back."

Sakura's arrival should have shocked the blonde Jinchuuriki, and it should have made him ask himself how she sought them in the state she was in. His body, however, reacted before his mind could, running and wrapping his arms around the lithe form ready to collapse.

"You're okay!" he bawled into her shoulder. "You're okay! I was so afraid I'd lose you! It's a miracle! How did you find us?"

"It's a long story," breathed the Chuunin, squirming in Naruto's hold. "But I'm here now. Tired, but still there. So please, let me go. You're crushing me."

He chuckled sheepishly. "Ah! S-Sorry, Sakura-chan . . . ."

From behind the tree Naruto had abandoned, nestled to the earth in his sleeping bag, Kakashi allowed a sigh of relief to pass his lips.

The Konoha reconnaissance team was whole once again, for had it not been for Sakura's return it would undoubtedly fall apart.

As for his whiskered student, no words could describe the content welling in his chest.

* * *

The two birds sat in silence as the Door across the hall soundlessly closed. At the same time another opened with a minute creak and allowed an ethereal radiance to flow in.

The cockatoo beamed. The great-horned owl ruffled its feathers.

The path was back on track. Nevertheless, what obstacles lay beyond it would prove ever more difficult.

* * *

In the Beginning, there were two men.

In the Beginning, there were two names: Jiraiya of the Densetsu no Sannin and Pein, then Nagato, of the Red Dawn Akatsuki.

In the Beginning, there were two agendas: one to cease the plans of Bijuu capture and extraction, and one to erase the taint on the world and forge a New Order.

In the Beginning, Sensei and Student forsake the ties of their pasts and fought as Shinobi.

Their fight brought them to reveal the full force of their power and the edge of their very limits. Blood was shed and chakra was spent. Destruction reigned like snowing ash.

And in the End, there was only One.

"Jiraiya . . . one of the Legendary Three Ninja, is dead."

The Five Paths of Pein stood on a support beam that had collapsed during combat, their eyes watching the surface of the lake return to its former tranquility. Dark clouds drifted east, bringing the downpour to a steady shower.

The leftmost Path, the soul of Nagato that possessed his team mate Yahiko's body, smiled thinly. "If we hadn't kept our secret," he motioned to the Four at his side, "we would never have won. I can give you no higher praise than that."

Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled on the horizon. The God of Amegakure tilted his head skyward, and raindrops touched that high brow like a blessing from heaven.

"And now, with one less distraction out of the picture, I can resume what the Shinobi world will learn to expect and accept: The culmination of the Fruit of Enlightenment, the product of Revolution that is Assimilation . . . ."

_(I have everything you need, M'Lord Pein . . . .)_

The Four Paths whirled at the telepathic voice, in the direction behind them where a narrow alley tapered off into the twilight. The Rin'negan in their sockets dilated, probing for the sudden spike of chakra in the area.

Pein cast a glance over his shoulder, unperturbed by the turn of events. "Do you now? Well then, Kakaeru, show me what you've gathered."

_(But of course, M'Lord. Right this way . . . .)_ And the gas lamps, left untouched for an unknown amount of time, sparked to life in crimson coughs, warding off the cloak of darkness as if it were a phantom plague.

Akatsuki's puppet leader motioned to the quartet with a fixed stare. "Head on back to the cryostasis pods. Let Konan know that Jiraiya is no more. I'll return within the early hours."

Without protest the Four nodded and burst in clouds of smoke, signifying their departure. Alone in the rain, Pein turned on his heel and proceeded into the mouth of the damp alley.

"Let us see how far we have got."

* * *

Protected by the night, a column of moonshine bathed the Uchiha Estate in a silver luminescence. In the midst of that heavenly ray, Itachi Uchiha read.

Twin coals roamed over faded print and yellowed pages. Pale, callous fingers flitted through cracked papyrus crumbling to bitter flakes. Smooth, red lips formed words and names old and obscured in quiet etude. An intelligent mind absorbed facts denied by higher authority and accepted them as Truths opposed by the cross-examination of those nay-sayers.

The book which he held contained secrets no ordinary mortal would ever hope to accept. Against their better judgment, they would simply refuse to connect the dots of what was then . . . and what was now.

To them, it would be considered heresy and blasphemy.

He sighed wearily, marked the page with a black feather and closed the tome, sending dust afloat on their midnight journey to nowhere. He placed it back in its proper place, leaving its spine to stick out further than the rest.

Itachi looked to the full moon in the sky, his expression unreadable.

"Tomorrow . . . is only a dream away," he said to himself.

In a far corner swathed in shadows, the statue of Sojobo the Tengu King watched the _nukenin_ with eyes sculpted in stone.

"Isn't that right, Sasuke?"


	7. VI: Onyx Crown

**Disclaimer :** All characters and places belong to Masashi Kishimoto, ©1999-2008. Any characters and/or locations not recognized in the _Naruto Shippuden _universe belong to Jennifer Nicole Siciliano, a/k/a Grand Phoenix.

_A/N: I'm back and I'm ready to kick proverbial ass! We're starting to pick up the pace as we enter the next arc in the story. More revelations and questions will rise as the plot delves deeper into the Mystery genre. Time-wise we are in manga chapter 380, just before the Sasuke/Itachi fight begins, but this also where Sparda in Colossal begins to diverge from canon._

Get ready, 'cause we're just getting started!

* * *

_"And the Lord said unto Moses, stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt."_  
---- Exodus 10:21

* * *

**Chapter VI**

**ONYX CROWN**

* * *

**JUUGO COULD NOT SLEEP.** He tossed and turned about where he lay on the grass, trying to find that one comfortable spot that would lull him into a dreamless void and not hear the horrific screams of the dead and mocking laughter of his demonic half. He could hear it whisper in the recesses of his conscience, words like 'sinner', 'monster', 'beast', and 'tool' sinfully echoing amidst the dark. He fought to suppress the cold slither in his veins, the throbbing madness in his temples, the sour tang of evil burned into the Curse Seal.

He broke out in a sweat. Groaning, he clutched a hand to his forehead, closed eyes crinkling ever more tighter.

_("Why? Why are you doing this to me? I didn't do anything--!"_

_A strangled cry, then a sickening thud._

_"Don't lie to me! You know what you did wrong!"_

_A watery cough. "Sasuke--Agh!"_

_"Kill her! Next time you see her, kill her! Cursed Seal or no Cursed Seal, I want her DEAD!")_

He rolled on his side, curled up in a ball, head in his palms.

_(She looked up and saw a hurtful sight in which Juugo stood, his sword arm frozen in mid-air, and the blotches fighting and squirming to devour him whole._

_There were tears in his eyes. One appeared to be a solid black and yellow, the other a grey, bloodshot disc._

_He swallowed thickly, grinded his teeth. "G-Go! GO! Before it consumes me!"_

_Sakura held her breath, sore and amazed._

_"Hurry!"_

_That was it. Sakura scurried to her knees, then to her feet. She mumbled to him, bowed her head (with a cringe), and limped out of the area. Juugo fell, a sorrowful moan escaping him, and darkness reigned.)_

Thank you.

She said _Thank you_.

Thank you.

Why?

Thank me for what?

Thank you.

_. . . thank . . . you . . . ._

He whimpered.

_("Tell me," she said, "do you know where Sasuke's heading to? Your leader: Sasuke Uchiha. He planned this diversion to buy time, so it must mean that Itachi is nearby. Which way is Sasuke going?"_

_Juugo gazed fixedly at her, drawing blood from his lip. "G-Going? Wh-where is h-he . . . g-g-going? Hehe . . . wh-why would y-you want t-to know? You're not worthy! . . . of his . . . PRESENCE!" At this he said 'presence' with a hiss that reminded her of someone oh-so familiar._

_"I don't want to fight you. I just want to see him."_

_"S-See him?" queried the man, incredulously. "See . . . HIM?" He cackled. "He doesn't want to see you! He told me all about you guys! Pathetic ninja . . . you're nowhere near as strong as he is! He looks at no one but Itachi!"_

_"And Itachi's here, isn't he?"_

_"Yes, yes! Of course he is! They're both at the Uchiha Esta--!" Juugo flinched as if he had been struck. Sensing his mistake, his glare hardened murderously. "I KNEW IT! I KNEW I SHOULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING SOONER! I SHOULD HAVE KILLED A WOMAN INSTEAD!" He shook his head. "But he let me live! He set me free! Why? WHY?! Hell if I know! I just want to KILL!")_

I don't . . . .

I don't want to . . . .

I . . . .

_("No . . . No! I don't want . . . nngh . . . I don't want to! I DON'T WANT TO!" Blotches of black spread over his face and his skin darkened. His moans deepened, turning into feral growls. "Don't make me kill! Don't make me kill . . . another SOUL!")_

I don't want to kill!

I don't want to die!

I want to live!

But why? WHY?!

You're CURSED!

Cursed.

Cursed!

_("Juugo's a fucking pacifist. He won't lift a finger unless Sasuke says so.")_

_("Sasuke's pissed because Juugo didn't have the balls to kill this girl.")_

I DON'T WANT TO!

_("Kill her! Next time you see her, kill her! Cursed Seal or no Cursed Seal, I want her DEAD!")_

But . . . .

_("What makes you think Sakura is a threat to Sasuke?"_

_"Dunno. Maybe she did somethin' to him back in the day. Maybe their clans were at war with each other. I can't say, but whatever the reason Sasuke will stop at nothing to get what he wants. It's all in the name of death, vengeance, and power. And he'll kill us if it comes to the point where we may become a hindrance to his plans.")_

Ahhhh, my stomach . . . .

It came up fast like an acidic river. The man sat up, leaned forward and retched into the bushes until his throat ached and there was no more sorrow to reject. He groaned and wiped a hand across his mouth, feeling shallow, empty, pathetic. The stinging inferno in his shoulder receded to a dull simmer.

Grey portals adopted a film of unshed tears. What was wrong with him? Why was he feeling so conflicted? Had it always been this bad, this life he was forced to live? Had his sadness and loneliness been this tantamount, his bursts of rage uncontrollable? Where was this road taking him, and why wouldn't it spare him the chance of true tranquility, a state of mind in which crickets chirped and water cut through the cloudless night in roaring murmurs?

Was it meant to be this way?

Was it meant for him to lead a life of death and insanity, forever trapped by this doom?

Weariness gripped his young bones like an iron weight. He looked to Team Snake's slumbering members; Suigetsu sprawled on the tree branch and . . . Sasuke leaning against the pine, chin lowered and sheathed chokuto in his lap.

Karin was absent from her boulder.

_'Where could she have gone?'  
_  
He remembered in lieu of this thought, almost prepared to assume she had gone missing, though this did nothing to lift his gloom. It would be in his best interest to seek her out and relieve her of watch duty, as it had been some two-three hours since he last saw the chakra specialist.

Yes, anything would do. Anything to keep him away from those awful monsters lurking in the shelter of his eyelids.

He treaded soundlessly to her post, mindful of Suigetsu's loud snoring and his leader's unshakable (unseeing, all-seeing) gaze. Not far from the camp he found her, head bobbing to her chest and mumbling an incoherent litany. The sight of her nodding off brought a tiny smile to his heart.

_'Silly girl,'_ he mused absently. _'What would we do with you if you did that during war?'  
_  
He gently shook her frame, whispering: "Karin. . . . Karin, wake up. . . . Wake up."

Eyes cracked open, lips smacking and lending a bleary voice to her disturbance. "Wh-What? What's goin' . . . goin' on? Wh-Who there? Juugo? What . . . ."

"Go lay down," he said. "I'll take over."

"You will? O-Okay." She rose and stretched with a mighty yawn. She rubbed a sleepy iris. "D-Don't stay up too long, 'aite?" And that was that, bumbling back to whatever comfort the woods would give her.

When she was gone, Juugo sat down and wrapped his arms around his knees. He sighed and stared off into the tenebrous shadows cast by the ivory orb of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto.

_'What am I to you, Sasuke? Who do you see me as? Am I the Shinobi you recruited to help dispose Itachi the Executioner . . . or am I the tool you use to satiate your malevolent spirit, to cleanse the taint who you call Sakura the Leaf Kunoichi? What has she done to enhance your ire, and what you have done for her to require your presence? What are we, the Three who comprise the snake's body, to you the head?_

_'. . . Would you really eliminate us if we were to become obstacles in your vengeance?'  
_  
What would Kimimaro do, if he were in this predicament?

_'Would you?'  
_  
How he wished for an answer.

But none was forthcoming.

No. The world was too cruel to supply him one.

Too, too cruel.

* * *

Sparda, the One and Many.

Sparda, the Masked God of Springs and Rivers.

Sparda, the Shapeshifter. Guardian of Birds. Deity of the Pierced Sigil.

Who was He?

What was He?

Sakura wasn't lying when she said Gods did not walk among Humans. Where They resided in Svarga, the Humans were ground to the earth until their dying breath. She found it quite odd, and perhaps a tad worrying (though she would never admit to Him with a straight face), that He was not in His heaven. It led to many questions as to why He was here, what His mission was, and other such musings she believed too ornery until she was ready to learn their secrets.

But why now? Why did Sparda wait until this moment in time to come forward and relay the importance of the One Truth? And why her, the lowly Haruno? Why not Naruto? He never went back on his word, never broke his promises. He didn't have a family, but at least he helped serve the Village when it was at its most dire. And her? What did she do? Worship the Last Uchiha and utterly ignore her training like any other dedicated Shinobi or Kunoichi should have done.

It was with those memories she regretted being so ambitious.

Still, the timing of Sparda's appearance . . . did not sit well with her.

Oh, how she wished she knew! If only He could tell her everything there was to know about the world. About white chakra. About the Juuyon Seijin. About the ill-fated Haruno-Uchiha alliance. About the Old World. About geese and cockatoos and mallards. About the ruins at the Den of Rivers. About the Pierced Sigil. About why she was needed to become the Bearer of Truths.

But alas, none was forthcoming.

The world was too mysterious to lend her one.

Too, too mysterious.

As she lay on her sleeping bag, staring up at the spherical atrium of valiant warriors and mythical beasts frozen in the sky, she recalled His parting words: _'Always look beneath the underneath. Question everything around you. The truth may be closer than you think.'_

_'Yet why does it feel so far away?'_

The Chuunin closed her eyes, allowing the day's fatigue to lull her to a dreamless rest.

She wondered if she would see Him again tomorrow.

* * *

When she finally fell asleep, Yamato-taichou lifted an iris and peered at her for a long time before closing himself off with a grunt.

His expression was unreadable.

* * *

"Ahhhhh, so good t' see you agin, m'Lord Pein. I assume yer mission went bloody well, am I not wrong?"

The red-haired man kneeled on the tatami mat and bowed low to his confidante. "You are not wrong, dear Kakaeru. Jiraiya of the Toad Contract is but a bloated corpse for the fish to eat. We can continue as planned without worry."

"Good, good. _Verrrry_ good. I like-a that a lot. Now . . . where were we? Yes, yes! Th' Relics, m' good sir! Coming-a right up!"

Kakaeru was a very peculiar man. Pein knew from the moment they met several years ago that he was uniquely different from a typical Shinobi. Whether or not Kakaeru was a fighter by nature was yet to be discovered, for he had never demonstrated jutsu of any kind save a remarkable intelligence of the ninja world and its ancient history. An archaeologist, by right.

His voice was not the soothing tenor of handsome men or the rough, commanding bass of battle-hardened soldiers. It was the thin, reedy tone of a person who looked to have the ability to see into the future. It sounded unlike any accent he ever heard.

His clothing exuded a mystical air, of yellowed parchments and scrolls with faded ink. The black cloak donning his tall, willowy frame was like wrinkled paper, draped over a drab brown tabard and gold chains around his neck. Sapphire orbs flecked with red turned aside to fetch the item of his interest, and when he faced Amegakure's God upon uncovering it his bronzed face formed a mischievous smile. The slight, non-existent breeze in the alley where they sat combed at blades of extremely short white hair.

Hands bedecked in assorted rings and exotic bracelets unfurled a map of the Elemental Nations on top of the wooden box between them. One corner was curled and its edges were frayed as if from extensive use. In spite of its wear and tear, it was still in good condition. Red circles littered the land and Temujin's Continent, some of which were crossed off in a big X.

"Look 'ere, m'Lord, along th' west an' south lands. These circles, these artifacts, I have found them here, here . . . aaannnd _here_." Wind Country, Earth Country, and Bird Country. So that's where Kakaeru had been these past three weeks. "They were . . . almost too easy. Shame I could not use m'special mahgick, but hey-a! it's not Kakaeru's fault! Methinks you shall be pleased. Yes, very pleased."

"Show me, then." Pein commanded.

"O' course, o' course! As m'Lord wishes!" The scavenger reached into his cloak's folds and withdrew a thermos. Twisting open the cap, he presented to the Rin'negan user a clear blue liquid. "This be Holy Water from th' oases o' Suna. God's Tears, the Scripture dictates. Took me many a try 'fore I realized it wasn't a Genjutsu, but a cleverly disguised chakra veil**(1)**."

"What does this Holy Water do?"

"I am not sure, but I know it is inedible. One sip, jist a tiny sip, m'Lord, and I fell gravely ill! Numb all o'er, that I was! Could not hear me heartbeat nor breathe nor feel th' wetness of me tongue. I was in agony! Three days o' pure torture, I oughta die than feel pain! That is why I did not sends my message to you, m'Lord. My deepest, sincerest apologies!"

"Cease your prattle," Pein said, stopping Kakaeru with a raised hand. "I understand it must not be drunk. If it cannot, then there is no point in searching (or creating) an antidote. What else?"

"As I said before I am not sure, but I theorize, _theorize_, it has to do wit th' hilt you found in Whirlpool. Perhaps . . . Perhaps it is to enhance its capabilities . . . for when it is restored? Or perhaps . . . it is to reduce delay in Kenjutsu? I do not know, but . . . I should warrant to browse th' Scriptures another time." He closed the thermos and set it down beside him where he grabbed the second item: a small green gem carved in the shape of a diamond.

"This li'l bugger is called a _chrysoprase_, found buried in Iwa no Kuni's deepest, darkest caves. 'Tis a rarity that which 'as never seen the light o' day since the Cradle's Fall! It is imbued with great healing powers, and it can tap into the mortal conscious! Scriptures says it heightens one's awareness of the world around him, showing what is hidden from the naked eye." He barked a laugh. "Ha! Fancy those Rock-nin coulda had a jubilee iffen they knowed this back in the War days, stupid nutters! Ahhhh, but . . . 'tis good we have it -- 'tis good, 'tis good. If I recalls correctly, yer sword is missing its pommel stone. Take it, m'Lord; after all, the boon is yores. Though I suggest ye don't equip it until . . . well, until we tie end up these loose ends, hehe.

Kakaeru clapped his hands and delivered a grand, toothy smile. "Last but not least, my final item. Prithee, m'Lord Pein," From a utility pouch he pulled out a large, jagged bronze plate that bore an angry sea and gathering storm clouds. "Do ye recognize this?"

Pein gasped. "That's--!"

The man nodded. "Indeed. 'Tis a piece of th' _dodecahedron_ you yearn t' complete."

"But how?" asked the Rain-nin incredulously. His fists balled tightly. "The Scriptures didn't say they were fragmented--"

"What the Scriptures say and what reality show are two diff'rent things," Kakaeru said grimly with a pointed finger. "Time is not always so kind upon us mortals. It would seem someone -- or _something_ -- has, how do you say, put a hamper on our plans. Who and when, I can not determine . . . _but_," he emphasized curtly, "I am fer certain whoev'r separated th' otha half . . . is a Saint Master."

Pein snarled. "Damn! I did not think of the possibility that another person would be aware of the Saints' existence."

"It is not jist that," the bejeweled wanderer added. He tucked away the bronze plate and crossed his arms. "The marks y'see marked off were not many when last we consulted. Nine were empty. There now stands only five Relics."

"What?!"

"Likewise. 'Tis leaves but Grass, Sound, and Waterfall that must be scavenged. Either th' Saint Master and 'is Servant are uncovering the Relics, in accomplice with one or more Saint Masters, or there are Saint Masters that're looking fer them fer their own devices."

Kakaeru's gaze hardened. "Regardless, the fact remains clear: The Saint Master is our enemy an' is doin' ev'rythin' he can t' stop us."

* * *

The next day, the Konoha recon team encountered a terrible dilemma. Their journey to the Uchiha Estate was intercepted by the sudden appearance of a man in Akatsuki's black and red robe, who hailed them from atop a massive redwood.

"Hello, Leaf ninja!" greeted Tobi, who waved cheerfully at the group. "It's a fine day we're having, don'tcha think so? The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the grass is growing greener; oh, nature! what more wonders can you bestow upon us simple-minded folk?"

"Strange," murmured Kakashi-sensei to Yamato, eye narrowing in suspicion. "He's not in the list of Akatsuki that Kabuto left behind . . . ."

"Perhaps he is a new member," mused the ANBU aloud.

"Ah, but what a predicament I've fallen into!" the masked Shinobi cried woefully. Hands went over his heart as a gasp escaped him. "I wasn't expecting so many way out here. And it's eight-to-one! That is SO not fair!"

"We got ya outnumbered, so why don't you just give up, lackey!?" demanded Kiba. Akamaru barked agreeingly.

Tobi whirled in the Inuzuka's direction, arms akimbo. "Lackey? You mean you're not going to take me seriously? HOW UNCOOL! At least give me a chance!"

"Don't make any move," Hatake warned the squad. "Just observe him. He's outnumbered, so we've got the advantage."

Sakura, however, didn't think so. _'Something doesn't feel right. This man. . . . His chakra's . . . different. But how?'_

"You really don't think I'm much of a challenge, huh?" the man asked stoically.

_'My chakra . . . the white chakra . . . it's humming. Calling me. Telling me.'  
_  
"Such a shame. I expected a better assessment from the Legendary Copy Ninja. Number alone cannot strike down an enemy, nor does strength overwhelm him. All it takes is an open mind to topple a king."

_'It's warning me . . . that this man . . . is far beyond our power . . . .'  
_  
"In that case--"

_FLASH!_

He appeared in front of her, five feet away, cloak flapping behind him and right hand reared back.

Emerald eyes widened. Fear paralyzed her body as a tsunami of murderous intent engulfed her. Shock rooted her to the core when she caught the familiar demonic red of the three tomoe Sharingan glaring through the mask. Morbid fascination roared a manic fire at the dark chakra blazing madly on his fingertips.

Her friends did not see it.

Her white chakra screamed.

Her mind echoed with his mocking laughter.

"ALLOW ME TO SHOW YOU!"

* * *

**(1)** Like Blind Genjutsu it utilizes vast quantities of chakra, but instead of hiding one's signature it removes a piece (or the whole) of an environment from physical reality. It is dispelled when a person overpowers the veil with a higher quantity of chakra (i.e. an immovable object vs. an unstoppable force). It is a Kage-rank space-time ninjutsu due to the amount of chakra that is required and the risk of death that may follow. Thus it is rarely used.


	8. VII: Makings of a Storm

**Disclaimer :** All characters and places belong to Masashi Kishimoto, ©1999-2009. Any characters and/or locations not recognized in the _Naruto Shippuden _universe belong to Jennifer Nicole Siciliano, a/k/a Grand Phoenix.

_A/N: Let's kick off Round One, shall we?_

* * *

_"He who attacks must vanquish. He who defends must merely survive."_  
---- Master Kahn

* * *

**Chapter VII**

**MAKINGS OF A STORM**

* * *

**THEY WERE CAUGHT OFF GUARD BY THE VIBRANT AZURE LIGHT SHINING IN THEIR** eyes.

_"AAAAAAAHHHHH! RA-SEN-GAN!!"_

Naruto jumped in between them, placed himself in front of Sakura, and slammed the howling orb in Tobi's gut. The masked-nin screamed as the ravenous chakra tore his insides apart and seared away his flesh. His fist punched through his enemy's body, marking a perfect round circle in its wake.

"DON'T YOU FUCKING _DARE_ TOUCH SAKURA, BASTARD!!"

The impact sent Tobi flying across the field. He hit the ground rolling and tumbling, stopping just yards away. He lay there, coughing and groaning, blood painting the grass a viscous puddle beneath him.

"Sakura," said Naruto tonelessly, right hand giving off waves of chakra residue, "are you alright?"

Her heart was beating a staccato rhythm in her throat and the white chakra's siren song pumped hot adrenaline in her veins, honing her senses to an alarming alacrity. She could still feel the hellish heat of the dark chakra, taste the soot and iron tingling on her tongue, hear the ominous crackle and hiss on the man's fingertips. And oh, did she see the _hate_ practically burning in his eye . . . .

The Sharingan, Pride of the Uchiha.

_'But they're all dead! All dead except for Sasuke and Itachi! There shouldn't be another Uchiha left!'_

Unless . . . this man was like Kakashi-sensei.

_'Yes, a transplant! That has to be it!'_

. . . So why did it feel like she was lying to herself?

"Sakura?" Urgent. Desperate. The Jinchuuriki's pitch changed to a strained, panicked high. He looked at her, wounded, angered, concerned. She nodded -- _almost_ nodded -- when harsh, raucous laughter seized their attention.

What they saw shocked them.

What _she saw_ bereft her of breath and thought.

_'But. . . . But how?!'_

Tobi got on his knees and slowly pushed himself up to a standing position. Righting his balance, he flaunted the gaping hole through his stomach. To the recon's horror, it was _healing_. Pearly bones materialized like cold snow and repaired the broken rib cage. Strings of tissue formed immaculate cobwebs. Muscles, tendons, and organs frothed to life and replaced the lost vitals. Skin layered and stitched together a fine, taut texture.

In mere seconds, it was finished. It was as if the damage inflicted was never there.

The pink-haired Chuunin swallowed dryly. _'. . . The dark chakra . . .'_ -- Flames that dripped with salivating energy behind a black veil--

"What fools you are! Did you really think a bastard's technique would put me down? I'm not who you think I am!"

"Then who are you?" asked Kakashi, who had recovered from the disturbing display of power. Beside him Yamato-taichou eyed the masked rogue. In front of them, Naruto Uzumaki trembled with boiling rage.

Tobi chuckled. "Who am I? I am Akatsuki, the Red Dawn! The King Who Reigns Above A World Idle and Decayed! A Man of Truths Lesser and Grand! I Am He Who Will Change Nothing and Everything!"

Sakura gasped. _'A Man . . . of Truths?'_ She pursed her lips. _'Who is this guy? And what does he know about the lesser truths?'_

But one thought went unbidden, a venomous chill crawling up her spine: _'Who are we dealing with?'_

"But that is all you will get out of me!" Tobi admonished to the Leaf ninja with a wagging finger. "I can't let you see Sasuke-kun just yet, oh no. You see, he's a tad busy at the moment. He has a mission to fulfill, one which concerns the well-being of Big Brother Itachi. I've come here to make sure you don't interfere with destiny. So! here's what we'll do . . . ."

With a clap of his hands he executed the Monkey, Boar, Snake, and Dragon seals in quick succession. **"KINJUTSU: TSUMIBITOMON!"(1)** Beneath his feet a wide, massive wall of concrete and mass shot from the earth, disappearing into both sides of the forest and blocking further passage to the Uchiha Estate. Then, holding up a one-handed Ram seal he called forth, **"KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!"** and five clones surrounded the Konoha squad in a tight circle.

Tobi stood with limbs akimbo. "We're going to play a game. One of these Bunshin is the real me. Your objective is to find the original and defeat him before the first star in the sky appears. That will give you--" He trailed off, drawing the word out as he lazily twirled his wrist. "--less than two hours. When your objective is fulfilled, I will dispel this ordinary-looking jutsu and bid you entrance to no-man's land.

"The million ryo question is: Will you be able to do it by then?"

"Damn right we will!" challenged Naruto, shaking his fist at the cloaked ninja. "You've nowhere to run with that fucking wall in the way!"

The hidden Sharingan narrowed. "Oho, is that so? Then come, little Legacy. Come catch me."

"WITH PLEASURE!" He raced toward the blockade, another Rasengan charging in his grasp.

Sakura gave chase after him. "Naruto, NO!" _'You don't know what he might do!'_

Yamato watched the scene unfold, a portrait of stony calm.

Madara sneered behind his mask.

_"Uuuuuuuoooooooo! RA-SEN-GA--"  
_  
Haruno mentally thanked Sparda for supplying her with the white chakra, because just as the two Leaf Shinobi were nearing the wall she sensed it. She grabbed Naruto by the collar of his jacket and pulled him back right when he was about to jump.

_SHIIIIING!_ The poison-laden spikes missed him by barely a millimeter. They receded and melded into the concrete wall with the slightest of watery ripples.

Tobi barked laughter. "You'll have to do _much better_ than THAT if you wish to see your dear brother again!" The six clones flickered away via Shunshin, his voice echoing condescendingly, "The game has begun! Show me the prodigious might that is Konohagakure no Sato!"

* * *

At the Den of Rivers, Sparda's head snapped to attention. Sensing his demeanor's change, the birds exchanged confused glances at each other.

Facing the direction of the Uchiha Estate, the god of springs uttered a single word: "Sakura."

He dropped the herbs bundled in his arms and tore through the forest, heading for the Crest of Starshine.

He had to hurry!

* * *

Itachi sat on the dais, back flushed against the unforgiving stone and painted black nails curled over the armrests. Dark, trimmed lashes sheltered him from the gold haze flooding through dusty glass window high above. A large tapestry depicting futatsu-tomoe graced the sandstone wall behind him.

Though he could not see it, he could still feel the Tengu King's grim, unsmiling visage bearing down on him the weight of responsibility and destiny's looming presence.

He touched upon a faint chakra signature -- a hot, broiling, drumming specter of pathological sorts, eyelids twitching as invisible fingertips hovered in front of its unworldly heat.

He hummed thoughtfully.

Otouto had finally come.

* * *

If there was one thing in life Sasuke Uchiha could not stand, it was patience.

Eight years was a long time to harbor enough hatred to beget the notion of vengeance. He thought eight years would be enough to hone his emotions to a venomous point, but the Fates had shown him the day Itachi dispelled his Chidori it was not.

Not enough to overthrow the Executioner.

Not enough to avenge the Uchiha, King of Kings.

Not enough hate! Not enough power!

It was this reason that he defected Konohagakure. To seek out the necessary force and manipulate it to his dichotomy. To manifest hate into a physical weapon and herald heaven's creed ten-- no, _twenty-fold_ -- upon that bastard's head; mind, body, soul, and eyes. Eyes that would see his pain, his anger, his sorrow, his twisted and perverted joy at the godless messenger's downfall . . . .

Oh, how to exploit it!? How to revel in his suffering!? Tears alone would not fully express the accomplishment blooming in his heart like a rain-soaked rose. Oh no. Oh no! There were so many ways to put the filthy excuse of a human being in his place! So many choices of weapons and methods to implement! So many words to say and not enough to put them into such!

What to do, what TO DO?

Could he smithy the blade of bane to slay He Who Bears No Soul? Did he have the strength to banish He Who Is Not Uchiha as he had eradicated the fearsome Snake Sannin, Orochimaru?

When he stared into Kisame Hoshigaki's twinkling grey eyes, Samehada's bandaged tip a hairsbreadth between his own, the former Kiri-nin displayed a toothy, predatory grin. His answer was this:

"If you would, please continue on. Itachi would much prefer the rest of us to wait here." He lifted the sword away from Sasuke's face and propped it on his shoulder.

The Last Uchiha nodded. "No problem. I only formed this team to make sure no one interfered when I finally found him. This works out perfectly."

"Wait a second, Sasuke!" said Karin. "We're supposed to fight Itachi together! Isn't that why you formed Team Snake? To test our abilities?"

"I have, but this is not your fight. Your place is here to protect your leader from unwanted attention, be it Konoha ninja or Akatsuki itself."

"But Sasuke--!"

"Don't even think about it, Karin," he answered with a cold lilt to his voice. A sidelong glance of the Sharingan rooted the chakra specialist in place, tomoe weaving an unspoken threat. "This is MY revenge. I won't have you take that away from me."

Karin opened her mouth, but the words did not come.

For Sasuke was already gone.

* * *

Instead, it was Suigetsu who awoke her from her reverie.

"Do you remember me, Hoshigaki-sempai?" Seeing the shark-like man arch the ridge of a brow at the question, he added, "It's me: Suigetsu Hozuki. I'm Mangetsu's younger brother."

"Mangetsu's . . . ." Realization dawned as he put two and two together. "Oh ho! I remember now! I almost didn't recognize you! And 'ere I thought ye would never grow, ya little squirt!"

A smirk. "Time flies when you're havin' fun."

"Indeed."

"As a matter of fact, why don't we have some?" Suigetsu unsheathed the Kubikiri Hōchō and held it in front of him. "My blade yearns for its fill of blood, and it won't stop until it has it! What say you, Hoshigaki-sempai? Are you game?"

Kisame chortled. He lowered the Great Samehada to the ground. "How can I not refuse? Of course I will play your game! Prepare yourself!"

"Suigetsu," began Juugo after a moment's hesitation, "are you sure you want to do this? You'll be ignoring Sasuke's orders."

"Heh, better than standing around doin' nothin'," replied Hozuki. "Ain't no way we're gonna do that. Right, sempai?"

Hoshigaki smiled widely, unfurling the sword's bandages. "Might as well. Ye two can join iffen you so please, but methinks you don't have much of a choice."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?!" exclaimed Karin, feeling helpless that she could not get a word through them.

The nukenin from Kirigakure brandished Samehada at the redhead, his tone deadly serious. "If you get in our way, we won't hesitate to cut you down. Either keep moving or die. What's it gonna be, kid?"

Karin growled. This was not how she expected things to turn out! They were supposed to fight Itachi together, dammit!

Juugo hummed thoughtfully, his brow knitting.

Kisame didn't wait for an answer.

"Well then," he said to Suigetsu, "why don't we get started?"

The young'in grinned and charged forward, weapon at ready. "I'm already ahead of you!" His opponent licked his teeth, clasped the zanbatou in both hands, and followed suit with a Shunshin.

He reappeared in front of him, blade raised.

"KARIN!" yelled Juugo. He grabbed the surprised girl by the waist and jumped as far away his chakra-enhanced soles carried him.

_BANG!_

* * *

_--shi-shi-shi-shi-shi-shi-shi-shi-shi-shi-shi-shi-shi-shi-shi-shi-SHIING!_

With an amazing alacrity that would impress her mentor, Sakura blocked the barrage of poison needles flying at her with a kunai. They had come at her from a spiked ball the masked ninja pulled out of his cloak, throwing another of the slim projectiles at the exploding note attached to it. It was a clever distraction, she had to admit . . .

. . . but this was not the right time or place to let her mind wander.

She heard the man cackle as metal clashed against metal. "Good, good! You're quite the fast thinker! As expected of a Haruno! But can it be compounded with your nimbleness? Let's find out!"

Tobi clapped his hands and drew them back. Dark chakra focused in his palms and outlined the length of his arms in a mocking white glow. He held one arm at her just as the energy threatened to burst. **"KUROJITSU: HOU'OUDAN!"(2)**

A spiraling helix of black fire shot from the focal point, punching a line of scorched earth toward its target. Alerted by its roar Sakura knocked aside the last of the needles and dropped to a roll as it sailed over her head. A thrust from his other arm and a second column rocketed for the prone Kunoichi.

Not wasting a second she got up and ran. Ran in a wide arc past the trees and zigzagging across the distance separating them, the kunai gripped like an ice-pick in a tightly balled fist.

Tobi smirked. He ceased fire and clapped again. **"ISHI HEKI!"(3)** Striking the ground a wall of stone rose in front of him.

They reared their fists back--

-- his chakra signature spiked --

-- her white chakra flared --

-- she staggered to the right --

-- and the wall crumbled, his outstretched hand, in the shape of a claw, narrowly missing her neck.

Sakura whirled on her heel, left leg composing her balance--

-- the Sharingan beamed angrily --

**"GOUWAN!"**

In the blink of an eye, her arm flourished a cyan light.

_CRACK!_

Tobi's head snapped back, catapulting orange chips of hardened clay into the air. His body crashed through several trees, a destruction of fallen sentinels and unsettled clouds of dust.

Quiet.

The sounds of battle played in the distance.

Sakura adopted a loose stance, and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited--

_FOOM!_

She flipped the kunai to a hammer grip.

_SHIING!_

The poisoned nail flew into the bushes.

She raised the knife--

_CLANG!_

--and locked against a squirming, veinous, muscle-wrapped short sword; its stench coppery, acidic, rotting.

Blood caked his cloak, pooling behind his ankles.

Sakura bit the inside of her mouth hard, crushing her nausea.

"Have you figured it out yet?" asked Tobi.

The girl frowned. "You did this on purpose. You lured my team away so you could get to me personally. Am I right, Akatsuki?"

Tobi chuckled. "That's correct, Sakura Haruno. You who are a descendant of simple folk and talented warriors would do well to stay ahead in the game at any costs. That is why Sparda chose you. That is why He wants no one else but you, a Haruno, to attest what Truths may lie in all of us."

"How do you know about Sparda? Why do you call yourself a Man of Truths?"

"The same reason Sparda dubbed you the Bearer of Truths! I know many things: Secrets that will put clans to shame; secrets that will dishonor great men and women; secrets that will destroy villages; secrets that will be denounced and challenged by hypocrisy and silent deaths! The world we live in is a lie our elders do not want to wake from. They will resist Change. They will deny Fate and disregard attempts to Reason. Their ignorance will get them killed, and for that they will not be saved!"

"You didn't answer my question. How do you know about Sparda?"

"Like I said, I know many things. I know why He's here. I know what He wants from you. I know who He _is_! But He won't tell you. There are some secrets even a god doesn't want known. Such a shame, really. To be the Bearer of Truths must mean you know everything there is to know about the world."

"He has His reasons. He'll tell me when the time is right."

"Does He? Will He? I think not."

"Who are you to judge His Mission?"

"I have every right to Challenge it, and when that day comes you will regret ever being Chosen!" He pushed into the kunai, and dark chakra ribbons fluttered around him. Sakura fought against the strain, but the man's rise in power escalated instantaneously.

The knife shattered.

She stumbled, only to be grabbed by the neck and lifted off the ground.

Tobi poised the muscular weapon at her heart. "Your defiance comes to an end! NOW FALL!" He lunged--

--her breath hitched--

_(LIMIT BREAK!)_

The world came

to

a

STOP.

A translucent white chakra well immersed the darkness under the nukenin's feet, ivory bands binding his legs and arms and sword. Pure lightning bolts of pain mushroomed in his vitals, causing him to cry out and drop the doomed Haruno. She coughed and wheezed, thoroughly shakened by the ordeal.

Amidst his struggles Tobi looked to the forest behind the girl.

In the shadows two grey disks gleamed like diamonds from a wooden wolf mask, its expression calm but deadly.

"So . . . the Coward's decided to make the first move." gasped he of the spiral mask. His chest rumbled with low, sinister chuckles. "It's only just begun, dear Sparda. You've yet to prove this girl's worth." He yelled, and with a sound akin to broken glass the chakra binds evaporated. Pointing at Sakura he declared: "I'm not finished with you. When we meet again, I will kill you and dispose your sinful corpse to the ninth circle of Hell!"

And with the use of the Body Flicker Technique, the battle was over.

_(Sakura, are you alright?)_ the deity's voice asked concernedly.

She gave the tiniest of nods and stood. "Y-Yeah. Just a bit ruffled, is all. Thanks for the save back there."

No answer.

She blinked. "Sparda?"

_(. . . Sakura, there is something I must tell you. It is about the events you've just witnessed.)_

"You mean . . . the dark chakra?"

_(That . . . and what you need to know about the power within the white chakra. The power to defeat that man.)_

* * *

He had waited so long for this day. Eight years of loneliness. Eight years of blaming himself for their deaths. Eight years of tempering the wild hurricane that was his hate. Eight years of severing the bonds he had established in the past to reach this point in time.

Eight years . . . and today, it was now.

He crossed the threshold, never tearing his gaze from identical jet stones. Each step drew him closer to fulfilling his destiny, to determining the factors between life and death.

His victory, his fall.

His first, his last.

For his family, his birthright, and his ancestors, Sasuke would not waver.

Not in front of _him_. That _bastard_.

"What does you see with your Sharingan?" posed the kingly figure on the dais, fingers creasing the hem of his cloak.

Sasuke smirked. His palm caressed the chokuto's hilt. "What do I see, Itachi? With the power I've gained over the years, it is very clear to me that I see but one thing and one thing only." He stopped before the steps to the throne, blazing red irises meeting cool embers. "I see you _DEAD_."

Itachi cocked his head. "Dead, you say?"

"At my feet with your heart ripped out and eyes plucked from their sockets," the younger ground out. "That way you will have no imagining of what true pain really feels like."

"What makes you believe I will die tonight? Who is to say your fate is set in stone, or that we will both end our suffering at the same time under the light of the moon?"

"You know nothing of my suffering! You don't know the hell I went through to get here!"

"I know many things, Sasuke," said Itachi, "secrets that will either enlighten you or ruin you. For that I know the secret behind the Massacre. I know the secret behind the Mangekyou Sharingan and why it was needed in order to hasten the downfall of our clan."

"You lie!" hissed Sasuke.

The elder folded his hands in his lap. "I'm afraid I'm not . . . but I cannot force you to believe me. If that is what you wish to see as the truth, then I will not push you to accept what lies beneath the underneath. After all, it _is_ your choice. People live their lives bound by what they see as correct and true. That is how they define reality.

"But what does it mean to be correct or true? Merely vague concepts . . . their reality may all be a mirage. Can we consider them to simply be living in their own world, shaped by their beliefs? Or perhaps the way people's lives _should_ be lead? A Truth . . . denied by other Truths, but a Truth nonetheless?"

"I've had enough of your bullshit! I've waited too long to pass this chance up, and I'm not about to let you walk out of here alive!" Sasuke's mouth curved in a snarl. "Tonight will be your last sunset, Itachi!"

His words rang in ancient repose.

The Tengu King watched, not quite there but there all the same.

Itachi Uchiha rose to his feet -- a wise, old monarch -- and started down the stairs; his face unreadable, his tone emotionless. "Then let us see how good your eyesight is."

He whipped out a kunai and pounced.

* * *

**(1)** _Kinjutsu: Tsumibitomon_ (Forbidden Technique: Sinner's Gate). A forbidden technique used by Tobi/Madara Uchiha. It is to fence in enemies from escaping; those who try will be impaled by the wall's spikes and immediately die the moment its poison enters the bloodstream.

**(2)** _Kurojitsu: Hou'oudan_ (Dark Arts: Phoenix Cannon). A technique used by Tobi/Madara Uchiha. Enhanced with dark chakra, it packs a far more powerful punch than any Katon jutsu.

**(3)** _Ishi Heki_ (Stone Wall). A D-rank Ninjutsu technique used by Tobi/Madara Uchiha. It is less durable than _Doton: Doryuu Heki_ (Earth Style: Earth Dragon Mud) in terms of defense.


	9. VIII: Point Blank

**Disclaimer :** All characters and places belong to Masashi Kishimoto. Any characters and/or locations not recognized in the _Naruto Shippuden _universe belong to Jennifer Nicole Siciliano, a/k/a Grand Phoenix.

_A/N: Here it is, the chapter you've all been waiting for: The Sasuke/Itachi fight. Who will live and who will die? Your questions will be answered._

_. . . or will they?_

* * *

_"There is a destiny that makes us brothers.  
None goes his way alone.  
All that we send into the lives of others  
Comes back onto our own."  
---- Edwin Markham_

* * *

**Chapter VIII**

**POINT BLANK**

* * *

**"ORA! SUITON: DEAD RINGER!"(1)**

Suigetsu plunged Kubikiri Hōchō into the lake. Enhanced by its aura, whirlpools formed and dotted the area. Kisame ran along the water, jumping and dodging the ferocious columns blasting from the undercurrents.

With a hand seal Hozuki's right arm bulked in mass**(2)**, muscles flexing and veins visibly popping beneath the skin. Lifting his weapon he shouted: **"SUITON: BAKURETSU HA!" (3)**, then brought the head cleaver down in a slow, powerful swing.

A colossal, almost solid wall of the universal liquid surged on frothing combers. It plowed forward for many meters, a seemingly unstoppable phenomena wrought not by the hands of a god but by the unnatural molded energy that was chakra.

Hoshigaki grinned. As soon as the wall loomed high above him, the shark man melted, literally, into shapelessness**(4)**. It continued its path of destruction as if he were never there, heading straight for the two remaining Team Snake members.

"Shit!" spat Karin. She and Juugo jumped out of the way, right as it collapsed. The wave crashed into the rock outcropping (elevated by both Kubikiri Hōchō and Samehada), its raw power utterly crushing it in a single blow.

The pair of ninja landed on another of the raised hills that was distanced from the battle. Lightly they panted, sweat dripping from their brows and necks and drenching their cloaks and tunics. For an hour -- one whole, sluggish hour -- they had been evading Death's reach, whether it be from devastating Ninjutsu or flying terrain or the gleaning steel of blades -- two fearsome blades belonging to the legendary Seven Demons of the Mist. Their constant movement and use of supplementary Jutsu left them fatigued and low on chakra.

In that hour the sun had dipped behind the patchwork of ash and redwood. Daylight tapered off at every aching, inching interval. Dusk was nearing, and soon the night would come.

By then someone was going to die, and it would not be either of the quartet.

"Juugo," the specialist panted, "please tell me you have more chakra. Your Jutsu . . . is starting to wear off. I don't want to use my reserves in the case those two go at it again."

"I'm almost empty myself," said Juugo officiously. "I may have enough for one more casting."

She nodded grimly. "One more, huh? I think it's best you cast it now; that way we'll be prepared when the fighting picks up again."

"Are you sure? This could go on for a while." He indicated to the battle below them. Kisame had risen to the surface, his Suikoudan no Jutsu whipping angrily at Mangetsu's younger sibling fending off the rapid strikes.

Karin didn't have to think twice on the matter. "I'm sure," she answered plainly.

"Alright," he acquiesced. Juugo clasped his hands together, forming them as if in the Ram or Rat seal, but the fore and middle fingers of his left curled like a hook. **"HAYAMETE."(5)** he murmured, and a red glow permeated from their bodies before receding into their tenketsu.

Immediately the redhead felt her adrenaline spike, the chakra rushing fluidly in her bloodstream. Her mind sharper, eyes keener, body loose and relaxed, ready for action. "Thanks," she said to the Man of the Scales, straightening her posture. "Now whatever they throw at us, we'll be ready!"

"The time of the casting depletes much faster the less chakra you use," he warned gently. "Don't waste it all at once--"

_KER-RASH!_

"Ah! Here comes another one!" Her cry prompted the both to look up and witness a second hail of raining debris and the amorphous remains of Suiryuudan no Jutsu.

They leapt off their perch and onto dry land, running across the expanse as the earthly torpedoes rocked the ground under their feet.

Across the lake, Kubikiri Hōchō and Samehada clashed, Hozuki and Hoshigaki pressed in a standstill.

The sun continued its descent.

* * *

_Kawkawkawkawkaw!_ went the crows as Itachi's Karasu Bunshin erupted in a cloud of black feathers. He stepped back to avoid a jumping strike from Sasuke's Chidori-powered chokuto, then backflipped away from an elegant, quicksilver spinning horizontal slash. The Demon's Cross, it was called -- a technique of the Dexterous Style in Uchiha kenjutsu.

Rising he pulled forth a few fast seals. He threw his palms out in front of him, chakra adopting the form of a one-hundred-eighty degree round shield. The moment it solidified the Chidori Eisou made its impact with a crash. Ripples coalesced along its surface, glowing green as he drew the energy inside the protective area and siphoned it to his tenketsu. Little by little he felt his strength replenish, his shield hardening as blast after blast slammed into him **(6)**.

But it wasn't long before Sasuke realized his mistake** (7)**. Foregoing his current strategy, he flew at the elder via Shunshin, fist cocked and crackling with Chidori's electric aura. He punched him in the jaw, sending him stumbling back. Itachi regained his balance, ready to fall into a defensive Taijutsu stance. The sword flashed, and he leaned away, missing his fate by decapitation.

Sasuke lunged, aim poised to stab at his front, but Itachi moved -- maneuvered to the side and cuffed the younger with a jab to the stomach. A clothesline to the face and the winded youth was flying end over end across the room.

He staggered to his feet, using the chokuto as a clutch. Tomoe spun ominously, irises bleeding and yearning for liquid red.

_'Such unbridled hatred.'_ Itachi mused candidly. _'Truly he has gotten stronger. He's come a long way to make his dream a reality.'_ At this he frowned softly. His illness had not perturbed the battle yet, thank the Gods, but sooner or later it was going to happen.

He noted that the sun was shining no more; most likely it was sinking below the treetops where it would journey to the Unknown Lands, that other side of the world where none had dare tread beyond the boundaries of the Sea.

Indeed, this was to be his last sunset; that much he knew. With the inevitable drawing near, he would not be able to tell Sasuke everything. About Madara. About himself. About the book with the black feather in it.

. . . About the Haruno.

His neck hair bristled at the familiar burning sensation. Behind him the Tengu King watched, his visage bearing an eternal, deadly grin.

No. He would give otouto his all. This was a match between brothers, the Avenger and the Executioner. He did not need any more help in spite of his injuries.

_Ziiip! Ziiip!_

A spike in chakra--

Twin Fuuma Shuriken sliced through the air.

His muscles tensed.

_'Do not be idle!'_ He reprimanded in his head. He charged, fingers itching to enact Jutsu at any moment. A hop, a spin, and he neatly leapt twain the giant stars.

Sasuke smirked. He pulled, diverting the weapons' course. They crested the wall, tips grazing the futatsu-tomoe tapestry, redirected and glided above the dais with a venomous buzz.

_'He used Soushuriken no Jutsu without hand seals?!'_ Upon closer inspection, Itachi understood why. _'Storage seals on the wrists. Orochimaru must have taught him Fuuinjutsu._**(8)**_ This is an interesting turn of events . . . !'_

He whirled around to face the looming assault. Hands formed a cross-shaped seal, and a pair of Kage Bunshin sprang to his side. Before metal met flesh, he turned and flung a kunai at Sasuke.

Sasuke sidestepped, the knife darting past. At the same time he snapped the wires from their seals. The blades detached from the base of the Fuuma Shuriken, striking the clones and obliterating them. The kunai he dodged transformed into Itachi, who braced himself against the wall next to the Estate's entrance. He raised a hand, caught a shard flying towards his face, and threw it back at Sasuke.

The younger countered with a flurry of the throwing stars, hands shifting through the air faster than the blink of an eye; a feat that Itachi felt to be startled, amazed, and proud of to witness in his sibling.

But not now.

He whipped out another kunai and charged headlong into the storm, deflecting steel rain with equal speed. Loud pings! echoed as shuriken, dented or slashed to pieces, clattered to the floor.

When he emptied his metallic repertoire and the Kanji on the storage seals faded, Sasuke hunkered down and performed the seals:

Ox--

Rabbit--

Monkey--

He willed his chakra to concentrate solely on his hand--

_Pachichichichichichichichichichichi!_

His legs pumped, feet pounding the hard-packed earth and sandstone. His teeth rattled, heart drumming in his skull.

Closer . . . .

Closer!

He struck with an ear-splitting roar.

**"CHI-DO-RI!"**

Right for the bastard's face--!

_CLASP!_

A gasp tore from his throat.

Itachi grabbed the offending appendage. The pain was execrutiating, the blood and water composing his body bubbling and hissing. The Mangekyou Sharingan squinted, vision blurring and duplicating, sliding out of focus--

_'No! Not now!' _

He bit his inner cheek from crying out.

_'Not--'_

Sasuke's free hand, the left, lashed out, surrounded by the crackling force field.

_'--now!'_

It, too, was snatched.

Unmoving pinwheels stared into furious orbiting planets.

_Predictable!_ the elder mouthed to the younger.

Sasuke's brow knit, tomoe contracting to tiny black holes. He snarled and screamed, tendrils of lightning branching from both Chidori; planting into the ground and sprouting internal wrath converted as a rare component of physical element. The current encaged them, a carousel of doom, and coiled about Itachi's frame.

All the while, the Last Uchiha observed the torture, unscathed.

Itachi grit his teeth, blood leaking past the pearly gates, his chest aching to cough. He tightened his hold on the wrists, standing firm as Sasuke pushed and pushed and pushed--

He headbutted the Avenger once--

Twice--

Thrice--

A fourth headbutt disengaged their standstill. Sasuke backpedaled, reeling from the shock of the blows.

The Executioner glided in and out of hand seals--

took a deep breath--

and ---

_'Goukakyuu no Jutsu!'_

_FOOOMM!_

A grand fireball flew from his lips, hurdling in the direction of the Konoha nukenin.

Sasuke fell, hand cupped round his mouth, head aimed toward the ceiling.

**"GOURYUUKA NO JUTSU!"**

Blazing dragon heads punched through the concrete, a dozen parading to the darkening heavens--

He hit the floor, heat washing over as the flames above him passed.

**"OCHIRO!"(9)**

Half of those beasts plummeted to earth, predatory smiles widening at the sight of their succulent prey.

Itachi moved to evade--

-- but found he could not.

_'Snakes!'_ he exclaimed. Two large, violet snakes with eyes deep as gold and enticing as sin sized him up and down; forked tongues flicking in and out, tasting the hollow of his neck, the mountain peaks of his knuckles. They embraced him, conformed to his body. And with every attempt to resist their touch, their love strengthened.**(10)**

_'Orochimaru, you devil. How dare you tempt my brother with visions of grandeur and blood-soaked misanthropy! Hate me I have told him, but to taint Sasuke with your silver tongue and poisonous fang . . . You have no reason to get involved nor interfere!' (But he knew it was too late to change that.)_

The next few seconds were spent in bone-jarring darkness. The six Gouryuuka rocked the Estate, engulfing the bound man as if the jaws of hell consumed him whole. And for one brutal, timeless moment it was. _Pain Pain PAIN_ thundered in his very core, raged and ravished and tore him limb from limb, and it _burned Burned BURNED._

And the screams -- oh, the screams! -- they were unlike anything he ever heard. Wretched, tormented, raw and animalistic. It made him want to curl up in a ball, put his hands to his ears and scream and cry and yell, if only to deafen (deaden) himself to the cruelty of the world.

. . . To his horror, he realized those screams were his.

He wanted to _die Die DIE_. So badly. So very, very badly. Not since the Third Great War. Not since learning of the planned Uchiha rebellion against the Konoha government. Not since murdering Shisui, his clan, his family, not since learning of Madara's true intentions--

He wanted to die.

_'Just end it already.'_

-- The Tengu King's shadow lengthened --

_'I'm not worth saving!'_

He returned to the light, on his hands and knees and a puddle of gore splattered before him. Heavy, labored breaths wracked his bruised chest. His sight fought with the world, struggling to refocus.

He wondered, distantly, why it was raining all of a sudden.

"This is the end for you," said a familiar, mellifluous voice. Raising bloodshot kaleidoscopes, Itachi saw Sasuke lift an arm to the tumultuous sky, illuminated by a dazzling array of lightning.

"I've waited so long to use this," he added woodenly. "This technique is like Amaterasu: impossible to avoid. Its power source is lightning from the Heavens themselves. All I have to do is guide it straight through your skull . . . and it'll be over in an instant."

_BA-KOOM!_ boomed the thunder, and instead of gutting the rolling cumulonimbi like a trident, it struck the Last Uchiha's hand and exuded a sparking, blue force field -- emerging from its glow a prince seeking the beck and call of his ally the Holy Land of Svarga.

"I call this . . . Kirin."**(11)**

Itachi thought his otouto to appear to be more of a ghost than any human being, with his too pale skin and red RED eyes.

"It's time to reproduce what I have foreseen." Fingers clenched, tingling with the raging cesspool that was Mother Nature. Sasuke regarded the ruin figure of his brother, a demigod among ninja his generation; white-hot fury set his heart and soul aflame, and his once idle Sharingan churned a whirlpool of tar none could ever hope to escape. "Judgment has come and decided your Fate! For your crimes against the amendments and the Uchiha clan, the Gods have found thee guilty! Therefore your Punishment is the prophecy of thy Downfall, the vision that is your Death!"

He dropped his arm and slapped the pavement. "Disappear into the thunder, and haunt me no more!"

From the clouds a terrifying beast descended. It roared with the finality of divine redemption and splayed forth its claws in the act of delivering the wicked to the decaying macrocosm of Yomi**(12)**.

Itachi's neck craned, irises widening as the Slayer of Sinners swiftly bore down on him. _'This is it. This is the end. There is no point in using Susano'ou, no point in going on.'_ He screwed his eyes shut.

_'There is no hope.'_

He waited with bated breath--

* * *

_(YOU WILL NOT DIE.)_

* * *

_**KRA-KOOM!**_

Outside the Estate, the battle came to an immediate STOP. Suigetsu, who was facing the building, looked upon the sudden distraction and felt his grip on Kubikiri Hōchō grow slack.

"Holy hell!" he exclaimed. "Look at THAT!" At this Kisame, Juugo, and Karin turned around and saw what had so captivated Hozuki at first glance: a gargantuan beast comprised of thunder and fire -- Sasuke's Kirin -- cleaved in two.

"By the Gods and Goddesses!" Karin gasped. "What's going on?!"

"Amazing!" Juugo awed, breathless.

Kisame watched, speechless, as the upper levels of the Uchiha Estate and the surrounding foothills and terrain detonated in burning glory.

* * *

When the smoke and dust cleared and he opened his eyes, Sasuke could not believe -- nor comprehend -- what he was seeing.

A giant of a man stood at the center of the destruction, consuming the wounded Uchiha below him in his towering presence. He was clad in a long-sleeved striped haori and blue hakama, with a leather belt, scabbard, and feathered harisen secured to his waist. In his right hand was a beautiful nodachi, its silver fuller encrusted with a colorful rainbow of jewels, and in the wake of the dying storm it shimmered as if it were forged from a sea of stars.

But those were not what caught Sasuke's attention. No, it was the man's round oculi, red complexion, long white hair, and unusually long nose that sent a shockwave to his extremities.

He did not want to acknowledge the fright dwelling in the pit of his bowels, but he could feel it. An inkling of primal instinct in the recesses of his brain.

_It was there._

Itachi looked up at the mysterious stranger, his voice escaping on a cloud floating twain the line of slumber and wakefulness. "S-S-Sojobo . . . . I didn't ask . . . ."

"Hush, Master," said the King of Tengu, a rough, bass rumble of the vocal chords. He lowered the nodachi, cast a sideways glance to his mortal ward. "You will only hasten your death."

"Sojobo-sama . . . ." He coughed into a hand, splattering calloused, white skin with bloody droplets.

"Hush, Master," repeated the giant. "Don't move. You're no condition to fight." He sheathed his blade. "Allow me to deal with this whelp."

Sasuke snarled, fists clenching furiously. "You! Why are you helping _him_? He's our enemy! Kill him now!"

"What makes you think Master Itachi is the enemy?" Sojobo posed to him, sagely. "Because he slaughtered the clan? Because he spared you to suffer the trauma of being the Last?" He folded his arms across his broad chest. "It is a great sin, but one which he had no choice but to commit."

"Bullshit!" the Uchiha ground out savagely. "He's a monster! A demon! _He deserves to die!_"

"Regardless of his wrongdoings, your brother is not the one you should direct your hate and grief at."

"And what incentive do you have that I should believe you? Why should I listen?"

"Because neither Master Itachi nor the Haruno heiress are your enemy. Madara is, and he'll stop at nothing to get what he wants, including _you_."

Sasuke scoffed. "Let him come. When I'm through with Itachi and Sakura, he'll have nowhere and no one to turn to. I'll run the bastard through, immortal or not!"

"Madara is much more powerful than you can imagine. More powerful than Itachi. If you let him come, then you will most certainly die."

"Never! So long as those three are still alive, I will not Fall! I will rebuild the Uchiha clan to surpass, no, _transcend_ its former glory!"

"If that is where you wish to tread, so be it, but you are making a grave mistake." Turning to Itachi, Sojobo said, "Come, Master. Let us tarry. The Fates decree you shall live for a while longer." He moved to retrieve the mortal in his arms.

He heard the kiss of steel being drawn from its confines, footsteps charging toward him. "Traitorous demon!" yelled the Last Uchiha contemptuously. "I won't allow this to pass!"

The Tengu sighed. Without turning he rose to his full, astonishing ten-foot-one-inch height. "Foolish boy, is that any way--" He snatched the harisen from his belt, spun about-face, and struck the boy point blank with an iron _SMACK!_ "--to treat your patron saint?"

And Sasuke, stunned and suddenly drained of both chakra and reserves, thought that no; no, it wasn't.

Except . . . .

_'Whosoever allies himself with the enemy, becomes my enemy!'_

He lost consciousness before he hit the ground.

* * *

**(1)** _Suiton: Dedō Ring__ā_ (Dead Ringer). A low-level B-rank Ninjutsu used by Suigetsu Hozuki. A sword or weapon is required to unleash it.

**(2)** _Suiton: Gousuiwan no Jutsu_ (Water Style: Strong Water Arm Technique).

**(3)** _Suiton: Bakuretsu Ha_ (Water Style: Exploding Wave). An A-rank Ninjutsu technique used by Suigetsu Hozuki. It cannot be stopped via Jutsu. A defensive procedure listed in Jutsu encyclopedias recommends that 'ninja avoid it at all costs.'

**(4)** _Suika no Jutsu_ (Hydration Technique).

**(5)** _Hayamete_ (Haste). A supplementary Jutsu technique used by Juugo of the Scales. It heightens one's senses to near superhuman degrees, but only for a short amount of time.

**(6)** _Saiha_ (Crash Wave). A supplementary Jutsu technique used by Itachi Uchiha. It can afflect and/or absorb chakra projectiles. Jutsu encyclopedias list it as mid-level A to low-level S-rank in conjuring chakra into physicality (see note 7 below).

**(7)** The mistake being that, depending on one's control on manifesting corporeal chakra, it cannot be destroyed.

**(8)** _Kuchiyose: Raikou Kenka_ (Summoning: Lightning Blade Creation). A set of storage seals created by Sasuke Uchiha sometime during his tutelage under Orochimaru. Though Itachi says it is Fuuinjutsu, Jutsu encyclopedias list it as a Summoning technique.

**(9)** _Ochiro_ (Fall). A command that is issued during Gouryuuka no Jutsu,utilized by Sasuke Uchiha. A random number of the fireballs will descend to meet their target. A footnote in Jutsu encyclopedias reads that the user can expand this Jutsu by incorporating willpower to home in on an opponent.

**(10)** _Jagei Jubaku_ (Snake Authority Spell).

**(11)** A mythical beast of Asiatic origins that punishes the wicked. In spite of its fearsome appearance (as either a chimerical creature or giraffe), it is of a gentle disposition.

**(12)** The Japanese equivalent to hell or the underworld, a realm where the dead go to dwell and rot for eternity.


	10. IX: Lost World

**Disclaimer :** All characters and places belong to Masashi Kishimoto. Any characters and/or locations not recognized in the _Naruto Shippuden _universe belong to Jennifer Nicole Siciliano, a/k/a Grand Phoenix.

_A/N: Here is the full version of Chapter IX. Before we start, let's review some things I've mentioned in the preview:_

_**One;** while I know I'm not the fastest writer out there, do understand I have a life outside it, including other stories and distractions that need to get out of the way._

_**Two;** I post my chapters WHEN I'M DONE. Either you get a chapter polished and proofread to the best of its ability, or you get absolute crap._

_**Three;** THERE ARE NO PAIRINGS. No Sakura/Sasuke, no Sakura/Madara, no Sakura/Pein. THERE ARE NONE. The closest you'll get to pairings are Sakura/Naruto, Sakura/OC, and Sakura/Itachi CAMARADERIE._

_**And Four;** Sakura, Madara, and Pein are MAIN CHARACTERS. Refer to Three for details._

_On a different note, I've experimented and played around somewhat with the point of view, somewhere along the lines of (if I'm correct) third-person subjective, third-person objective, and third-person limited. I also have plans to write an anthology within the Spardaverse that will answer and raise questions about events outside the main story. And the C2 I mentioned . . . yeah, I still want to do it; I'm just being lazy, LOL. But I'd like to write a ONE-SHOT on it before I get around to hunting and managing the archive._

_That said, I apologize for the long note. I guess I had a lot more to say than I wanted to, LOL._

* * *

_"Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth  
__Unseen, both when we wake, and when we sleep."  
_---- John Miltion, "Paradise Lost"

* * *

**Chapter IX**

**LOST WORLD**

* * *

**"SO-SOJOBO-SAMA," ITACHI CROAKED, GREY EYES HEAVY AS HE LOOKED UPON HIS** Servant. "I-Is . . . is the t-tome . . . safe? D-did it . . . sur-survive the . . . atta-ack?" The young man winced at the feel of cracked ribs brushing up against his insides. "I . . . I mu-must know . . . ."

They were making leeway abroad the countryside. Once they had reappeared outside and far from the Estate, Sojobo-sama took to the trees right away, hopping from branch to branch in great giant leaps. He held his Master close, the Saint's silky mane and the Uchiha's tattered Akatsuki cloak shielding the male from the coolness of the wind.

Itachi hadn't a notion as to where they were heading. Floating to and fro among oblivion's gates, he could only guess the Tengu King was delivering them to the Sanctum. It was . . . somewhere away from Hi no Kuni, that he could affirm; perhaps a mile from its border . . . but the pain was excruciating. He could not think properly, for its siren song throbbed in the deepest recesses of his ears.

Most of all, his eyes ached. The Mangekyou Sharingan had long since receded, and the world – dappled in moonshine and night song and flitting shadow – returned to an uncomfortable haze. A veil of gloom settled over him, and, for but a fleeting iota, he feared. Feared he had finally succumbed to blindness.

If it had been any other Uchiha, one who did not know the secrets of the Sharingan, it would be disgraceful. Not only that, but his name would be branded with shame. It would be an unspoken exile that could not be avoided. But this . . . this was his fate. This was his road to tread and not look back. This was a journey to the point of no return. This was . . .

This was . . .

(Itachi scrounged his brow, partly in thought, partly in excruciating effort.)

This was--

_'—a Trial to the Innermost.'_

Sojobo hummed, conjuring stray thoughts and not-so subtle possibilities. Round marbles never averted from the whirlwind of the land; leathered hands worn from a lifetime of battles did not loosen.

"Sojobo-sama," the wounded one coughed.

"The tome is safe," the King began. "This I believe to be so. A Door opens, and many close. Fate decrees it shall be found."

"B-B-By whom? And wh-when? Gods help me . . . if Sasuke should come across it . . . ."

"Sasuke does not know of the tome. He is too preoccupied staring into the abyss of his memories. As for the tome itself, it shall be found by the Haruno heiress. However, I cannot exactly say when she will come across it; she seems to be in a pinch at the moment. I should hope she shall uncover it as soon as possible. We all need her to pull through."

Itachi rested his cheek upon the Saint's breast. His lids grew heavy. "You're right. If there's anyone out there that can help us, it's Sakura Haruno." He chuckled softly. "Yes. Sakura Haruno. Who would have thought . . . ?"

His words lingered on the scent of pine needles and Fuujin-sama's shallow, raspy breaths.

Sojobo nodded. Indeed, who would have thought the Haruno heiress would be the key to their cause?

* * *

**EARLIER . . . .**

* * *

Sakura's head snapped up and forward, jade shards wide and alarmed. She stopped and looked behind her, into the forest. "What was that . . . ?" she whispered, mostly to herself. "It felt like . . . white chakra."

Sparda, in His masked human form, regarded His charge with sharp wolf eyes, then to the shrouded greenery. "So it is. It's very strong, very clear. A Saint has appeared on the mortal plane."

"A Saint?" she exclaimed, whirling around to face the God of Springs. "Where? Which one is it?"

"It's northwest of here; about a few miles from where your camp is set. As to whom this new arrival is, I would have to say it's . . . hmmmm, the Tenth Saint."

Sakura scowled, a tic throbbing on her temple. _'Stupid Sparda! I was asking for the name, not the number! Grr . . . !'_

"All in good time, Sakura," the man laughed. "All in good time. You know I can't tell you everything just yet."

"I know, I know!" she admitted, pouting slightly. "If you tell me now, I won't understand a thing. I get the point. You don't need to remind me."

Behind the false face, Sparda smirked. Although she was being serious, he found her words and actions to be quite amusing.

"Ah, wait!" Haruno exclaimed, as she jogged to catch up. "Can you at least tell me who the Saint's Master is? You said there was a way to stop that guy from Akatsuki before we left. Maybe we can find and convince this person to join us. He can't be that far from us, right?"

He did not answer. His gaze was still fixated in the direction where the chakra signature spiked.

Sakura blinked, confused. "Sparda?" She sensed an odd, heavy weight in the air, something she could not place her finger on. Was it something she said?

The man sprang back to life and shuddered, almost as if He were startled awake. "Oh! Ah, sorry about that," He said while turning around. "Yes, he is not far, this Saint Master—" A pause. "—but he is . . . preoccupied at this time. We won't be able to contact him." He started walking.

The Slug Sannin's apprentice watched Him pass by with a curious eye. "B-But what about the Saint Master? Do you know who he is? What he looks like?" She followed close behind Him.

Sparda nodded. "Yes. I know everything there is to know about him. I have also met with him many times in the past. And you know what?"

"What?"

"So have you."

Sakura gasped. "I have? When?"

"Months ago on one of your missions."

"Which one?"

"I'm not obligated to say."

"What?!"

"It's true. I need his consent if I am to tell you. Even if I wasn't bound I still wouldn't say a word, because at this moment of time you are not yet ready to hear the full truth."

"Will I ever see him again? Please don't tell me that's prohibited, too!"

"No. You'll see him," Sparda raised his gaze to the star-studded sky. "The Fates shall decree it so under the light of the new moon, when the Pillars are directly in the East."

Any thoughts Sakura had of the mysterious Saint Master deflated at that. Of course, the Pillars in the East! The crisp, thick aromas of ash, smoke, melting steel, salt-laced winds, and lingering rain had been absent in both her dreams and wakefulness. She had not seen, or heard, of them in what she felt was a long, long while; not since . . . since her battle against Sasuke.

But what did Sparda mean by _'when the Pillars are directly in the East'_? And what would happen on the night of the new moon? It was up until just now Sakura realized she had not paid much attention concerning the direction _she was facing_ whenever she caught sight of the Pillars. Perhaps, she pondered, it would be wise to focus on that inspect; it may play a vital role in piecing together Sparda's cryptic words in the future.

Yes, she would do that.

Further into the woods they trekked. The night continued to wane, minutes proceeding into hours. Wild life prevailed, as sounds of chirping crickets and croaking frogs grew to a loud, resonant decibel.

When the trees began to appear few and far, Sparda spoke. "Sakura, do you remember when I opened the entrance that blocked the Crest of Starshine with the white chakra?"

Sakura nodded. "Yes, I do."

"Do you also remember what I told you about the Juuyon Seijin?"

"I do."

"Then you know by now that in order to summon a Saint, one must agree to the contract bestowed upon them. That is, the person is to be given a portion of the Saint's chakra."

"Is that we're going to do?" asked Sakura, surprised. "Are we going to summon a Saint?"

"That we are. However, unlike those bygone days, the situation is different. As far as I know, more than half the Juuyon Seijin is active, whether they are aligned with a mortal or not. The rest, obviously, are still slumbering; they may or may not be aware of what is happening in the world. Normally one would go before a Saint to request its strength, but such is not the case this time around. What you'll have to do is _forcefully awake the Saint_, and the only way to accomplish it is with your white chakra."

"Forcefully awake?" the Chuunin intoned. "How do I that? And wouldn't it be wrong of me to wake it up without any knowledge as to what's occurring right now?"

"On the contrary, no," the white-clad man told her. "The Saints have a subconscious, innate ability that allows them minute glances beyond the void of slumber. Even if they are only somewhat aware, they have an idea about the events playing out.

"As to how you'll awaken the Saint, you have to know the three main properties of white chakra. One is to enhance one's senses based on how the inner chakra is formed and controlled. The second is to empower the mind and tap into the brain, most specifically the temporal and occipital lobes. Lastly, it is to manipulate the very fabric of nature around oneself, but this is only when the previous two properties are working in synch. With these you will be able to draw forth natural energy from the earth, the air, the trees, the leaves, whatever is capable of forming chakra, and call the Saint to the mortal realm."

"But Sparda, I don't have the formal training to fully utilize white chakra," Sakura admitted, soberly. "What if I can't do it?"

"You _can_ do it, and you will. Trust me when I say you do not need it to perform this task. When the time is right, I will teach you all there is to know about white chakra. For now, please believe in me. Your objective will become clear when you are ready to awaken the Saint."

"What about that man with the spiral mask, Tobi? What does he have to do with us finding the Saints?"

"That's a very good question, Sakura. Even I am not completely sure what his intentions are, but I feel that he too may be targeting them for his own gains."

"For power, right?" Sakura posed to the god. "It has to be. Whatever Tobi's Challenge is, he'll do whatever it takes to stop us from fulfilling our Mission."

"The Challenge?" Spardia inquired alarmingly, glancing at her over stiffened shoulders. "He told you that?"

The girl bowed her chin, appearing to be in deep thought. "He didn't say much. He just said he had every right to protest it, and that I'll regret ever being the Bearer of Truths."

Sparda hummed, digesting this tidbit of information.

Sakura grimaced. "But that's what I don't understand. I want to know _why_ he is bent on destroying me; what it is about me that he hates so much. It bothers me, but there's not much I can do at this point except speculate and make inconclusive guesses."

_'Yet I saw it for myself,'_ she mused. _'I saw the Sharingan, but who am I to say Tobi is an Uchiha and not someone who was given a transplant?' She sighed. 'Sparda needs to know. He may not tell me everything, but it would be in my best interest if I told Him. Whatever He impart, I'll use to better perceive the situation, especially that of the Uchiha-Haruno alliance.'_

"Sparda," she spoke suddenly, looking up from her hands, "when this is all over, I want to talk to you about Tobi. About what I saw. Will you listen?"

The God of Springs stopped in front of a line of bushes, where the dirt path rose steeply off the ground into a throng of weeping willows looming out of the dark. Sakura waited, standing behind Him some steps away. She caught a glimpse of an unruly mop of midnight blue hair before He addressed her, the wolf mask seemingly staring at and past her at the same time.

"Yes," He said, coolly. "After all, you have every right to know."

Then they moved on.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Konoha reconnaissance squad rested. The night was deathly silent, absent of cool, sighing winds save the haunting chorus of passing owls.

Naruto Uzumaki leaned against an ancient redwood, scanning the unmoving surrounding with crystalline blues. Now and then he would look upon the camp, his fellow ninja in the throes of dreams and incoherent ramblings, before turning to resume his post. Sometimes his gaze would fall upon his pink-haired teammate, and he would think that she was lucky to not have been born in a prominent clan.

Why fight for revenge, for power, for a life without purpose, when there was a circle of friends who cared for his well-being? Why go through all the trouble to kill the remaining Uchiha, his elder brother, when there was another brother yearning to find and knock some sense into him so he could return home? These questions only served to plague him with painful memories both old and new, from the Valley of the End to the Heaven and Earth Bridge to the cliff side where Sakura had been feared lost and dead.

Naruto sighed. He was grateful for Sakura's safety, grateful for her astounding healing abilities and incredible power, but he was afraid. He could not imagine losing Sakura again; not after what Sasuke did to her. If he could stay a little bit closer to her, be a lot quicker on his feet until the mission was complete, then he could guarantee her survival to be his utmost priority.

Under a curtain of stars he vowed to protect Sakura with his very life. He swore to not let anyone, be they friend or foe, stand in his way from ensuring her welfare.

Not even Yamato-taichou.

* * *

Unbeknownst to him the ANBU Captain was awake, eyes cracked open to mere slits, feigning the tell-tale signs of sleep without rousing suspicion. The Jinchuuriki's back was turned to him, and as luck would have it he was positioned right across the makeshift camp fire on the other side of the circle—

Right across from Sakura Haruno.

Except it wasn't her; it was a Bunshin unlike any clone he had ever seen. It looked so much like the real person, so much like a Kage Bunshin. He had almost been fooled.

_Almost._

There was just one minor detail Yamato couldn't ignore.

As he stared deep into the aura of the girl's chakra, a lone, stray thought sprang unbidden to his lips. "How familiar . . . ."

* * *

Sakura and Sparda soon arrived at a cliff face overlooking a land submersed in water meadows, a village empty and coated in moss. There were beds of pond water crowfoot and swamp buttercups nestled in the niches of stone houses and shocks of lesser spearwort crawling down the incline leading to the leveled ground. Above the town were massive rock steps poking here and there out from beneath the bedrock, suggesting there was once a series of waterfalls. Pine trees lorded the rough terrain, while the weeping willows encircled the floor, including the hill where the ninja and her guide were perched.

Sakura was crouched at the cliff's edge, appraising the area. It seemed to be a small place, a hamlet tucked away from the sights of ninja and civilian alike. There was a square patch of what appeared to be brick or cobblestone, and a church bell situated on a stone platform in the center of the patch. Around this were ruined buildings, possibly shops that had made up a crossroads market to buy and trade. The rest of the area was congested with overgrown vegetation.

"Where are we?" she asked, her voice matching the hushed quiet settled over the village.

"This is Rockfall . . . or what used to be," began Sparda. "What's below us is what's left of the town square. This was once a thriving village, a sort of hub for merchants and passers-by, dating back thousands of years before there was a Hidden Village. It was much bigger than this, and for a long time, too. But one day, a monsoon formed off the south coast and journeyed north into the country. Rockfall was severely ravaged by its storms; most, if not all, of the citizens did not survive. They exist as ghosts now, anchored to the village.

"However, there's a problem. Rockfall has been ransacked by bandits many times. The spirits have grown intolerant of their mortal counterparts, and want nothing more than to be left in peace."

"So what should I do, then?" the Leaf ninja questioned. "If I can't get past the villagers, then there's absolutely no way for me to get inside and find the Saint."

"There is only one way to go past this point."

"What is that?"

"You will have to ask them yourself." Sparda indicated to the town proper. "Go down to the plaza and push some chakra into the bell, for it no longer has the tools to be moved. This will call the ghosts out from hiding."

"And then what?"

"We negotiate." The man took a step forward, tiptoes hovering over the edge. "Come, Sakura. The ghosts only stay out until dawn. Let's not waste time."

They jumped down the rock shelves situated below them and crossed the flower-strewn hills into the square. It was much larger and, upon closer inspection, more weather-torn than it appeared to be: liana vines, tangled and knotted spilled from broken windows; large tree roots creeping through the cracks of foundations; water droplets on the tips of willow branches falling and disturbing the surface of mossy meadows. The cobblestones cracked and slid about beneath the pair's feet, a sound that echoed loudly in the dead of night.

Once there, Sakura approached the large bell. It was completely rusted, leaving little to no room to show its metal, which, from what she could glean, was silver.

She glanced at Sparda, who nodded approvingly. Turning back to the bell, Haruno set her hand upon the rough surface, applied chakra, and pressed against it.

The effect was immediate.

_DING . . . ._

_DONG . . . ._

_DING . . . ._

_DONG . . . ._

_DING . . . ._

_DONG . . . ._

It was almost deafening. Sparda seemed to appear unfazed; Sakura, however, mused it could have woken the whole of Fire Country. She had the powerful urge to stem the ringing in her ears.

"Who's there?!" a gruff, masculine voice yelled above the din. "Who dares trespass Mandalus's Den?!"

"Mandalus?" Sakura parroted.

"The Sixth Saint," Sparda answered. "She is Rockfall's guardian patron."

"I said, who goes there?!" the voice repeated. "Get off our land, human! We don't treat to your people!"

Sakura snorted. "How ironic."

"Come on out, Raso," the God of Springs called forth. " 'Tis but I, Sparda of the One and Many. I wish to spare a word with you about the Lady of the Scale."

For a moment, there was no answer.

Then, "The One and Many? What do You need? What's goin' on?" And then Sakura saw him, this Raso character, literally phase in to existence; a pale, glowing, middle-aged specter transparent to the solidity of nature and reality. His tattered tunic and cropped hair stirred on a soundless breeze as he flickered through the shrubbery, in and out of the walls of a dilapidated cottage, and toward the platform. "And what's _she_ doin' here?" His narrow, hardened eyes did not leave Sakura even as he came to a stop. Sakura frowned, but wisely kept her own opinions on the man to herself. She needed to keep an open mind.

Sparda gestured to Haruno. "This girl happens to be the Haruno heiress and my charge, Sakura. She has come here to propose a favor."

Raso arched a brow, his expression tense. "A favor? For _her_? Don't tell me there's another blasted war going on."

"As a matter of fact, no, but there will be if we don't plan ahead. Our top priority is to gather the resting Saints and ally with the acting Masters as soon as Time allows us. I believe the Lady Mandalus still has the Relic, does she not?"

"I would like to think so. It's been so long since she was last awake."

"Then could you please take me to where Mandalus is?" Sakura asked, interceding into the conversation. At Raso's scrutinizing gaze, she added, "You don't have to trust or believe in me, if that's what you're thinking. All I have to do is make the pact with the Lady, and then I'll be on my way."

Raso's soul made a thoughtful noise. "Is that so? Then answer this one question: If you were Mandalus's Master, what would you have her do?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, what would you tell her? What would be her first order? Each Saint has to have an affidavit they need to fulfill before moving on to their next objective, whether it's finding another Master or going back to sleep. It has to be in their absolutely best interest in order for the contract between mortal and entity can be established. Plus, you can't misuse their power beyond their code of conduct, which is to protect those who are weaker than them and fight for the good-hearted."

"I'm aware of that."

"So what is your answer, heiress?"

Sakura breathed deeply, allowing a moment's pause. Then, in a clear, concise tone of voice, she said, "I would call upon the Lady Mandalus to assist in the One and Many's Mission: to reveal the One Truth to the Elemental Nations of the East when the appointed hour is at hand. I would also speak with the Lady about training me in molding and manipulating white chakra, as well as how to incorporate her skills into any combat intensive situations, most concernedly my squad's active quest to find and bring back a missing ninja to the Hidden Leaf Village. Also, since Sparda is not always around, the Lady Mandalus can accede his role as my eyes and ears to observe and gather information beyond my location. That way when Sparda returns the Lady can use the time to rest until she is needed to relieve Him of His post. Overall, in the case she is unable to defend herself, I would perform at my utmost to ensure her safety. I promise you that much, Mister Raso."

"What do you think?" Sparda suggested to the ghost. "Does it not sit well with you?"

Raso of Rockfall folded his arms across his chest and appraised the Kunoichi from Konoha. "She certainly doesn't come off as a raider . . . or a liar. Furthermore, no one has ever so reasonably requested to seek the Lady Mandalus, lest he be plottin' to usurp her precious valuable, the Relic, without Lazarus's consent." He huffed strongly through his nostrils. "Methinks, Miss Haruno, I can take you to see the Lady."

"R-Really?" the Chuunin exclaimed, taken aback.

"Aye, but the Father Coriander (that be Lord Sparda to you, kid) has to stay here."

"What? Why?"

"A Saint cannot enter another's Den without permission," said Sparda to Sakura. "It would be wrong of me to violate such a law. But you needn't worry about me, Sakura. Whatever trials you may face, I am most positive you can surpass them."

* * *

Not far from their location, somewhere set deep in a body of rock, something stirred.

* * *

"Then that settles it," said Raso with finality. He clapped his hands and gestured to Sakura. "Come along, Miss Haruno. Time is of the essence. The folks here will show us the way, so don't fret about gettin' lost."

Sakura nodded, acquiesced. "Alright." With a backwards glance at Sparda, she turned and accompanied Raso through the plaza.

The ghosts of Rockfall were now present, when and how long was a question Haruno could guess to answer. Nevertheless the men and women and children directed them to the desired location, forming a transparent corridor round the bedrock and into the drooping willows.

* * *

And as the chakra signature drew near, she smiled.

* * *

The air pulsed, a pretentious heartbeat.

**_SHING!_**

Sakura back-flipped, barely avoiding the projectile. Upon rising, she noticed an L-shaped blade jutting from the soil.

"We've been expecting you, human," said a stolid, bass voice. Sakura followed the weapon's trajectory up to the cylindrical roof of the sandstone shrine, hazel eyes falling on a man clad in a robe of gold and black. The apparel clothed his gaunt frame, scrawny hands peeking from tattered sleeves, reaching for steel blades clipped to a couple leather belts secured crisscrossed on his hips. "The Lady of the Scale has heard many a word pass thy lips. She is most . . . intrigued."

"Who are you?" asked Sakura, her own hand straying toward the buried sword. "And how do you know Mandalus?"

"I am the Lady's _Spriggan_**(1)**, her acting advisor and confidante. My name is Lazarus of the Steel Fang, and I have been relayed to assess your worth."

"My worth?" It hovered just above the sharp, pointed edge.

The man bobbed his chin. "Aye. If you are to command the Lady at your whim, you must best me in combat, be it by concession or defeat. It matters to me not, but to her it is tantamount. She wishes to be entertained. No; she _wants_ to be _impressed_. Your performance hinges on her final decision." He rolled up his sleeves to reveal vambraces, and with gold chains attached to them he wrapped his blades around the sharp, pointed edges.

Lazarus gripped them. He leaped off the roof—

Sakura snatched the weapon—

"Prove to me thou art worthy of her power!" he roared.

The girl raced forward, determination stamped on her brow and Sparda's words repeating softly: _'Whatever trials you may face, I am most positive you can surpass them.'_

"I WILL!"

They met with a resounding **_CLANG!_**

* * *

**(1)** The Celtic word for 'sprite'.


	11. X: Algorithms

**Disclaimer :** All characters and places belong to Masashi Kishimoto. Any characters and/or locations not recognized in the Naruto Shippuden universe belong to Jennifer Nicole Siciliano, a/k/a Grand Phoenix.

_A/N: Got a bit of news; THE GOOD: I got a job as a cashier at Little Caesar and started a week ago, so the money's rolling in good; THE BAD: I'm going to have even less time writing because of it, but I don't blame my circumstances. You'd feel great too if you've been out of work for a year._

_I experimented with the chapter, this time taking a page from Stephen King's writing style and how it is put to use in writing out paragraphs. The end result was a faster pace of action prior to the lulling of the last scene that sets into Chapter XI._

_Oh, and a thanks to those who have been reviewing, alerting, and favoriting this story. I apologize if I'm responding to your feedback, but please know I appreciate them very much! Just enjoy this latest installment and keep 'em coming!_

* * *

_"Fight fire with fire."  
_---- Traditional Proverb

* * *

**Chapter X**

**ALGORITHMS**

* * *

_**CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! SHING! SHING! PING! KER-SHING! KER-SHING! PING!**_

Lazarus drew back his arm and lashed the L-Blade at Sakura, soaring at a shocking speed. The girl sidestepped, whipped out a kunai, and hurled it in the Spriggan's direction.

The blade lodged itself into a ridged column.

Lazarus twisted his body to the left and the kunai whistled by, shearing off strands of cropped bronze hair.

He yanked the chain—

_KER-RAK!_

Sakura blinked, glanced over her shoulder—

The column's severed top half tilted earthward, its shadow falling long above her—

She jumped away, and the structure collapsed with a tremulous _THUD_.

Lazarus deftly caught the sword. He spun around once and threw the right-hand L-Blade, his left leg outstretched for leverage.

_FWIP!_

Sakura directed chakra to her legs. A burst of speed prompted her to dash straight into the weapon's trajectory faster than anticipated.

She raised her own blade – narrowed her eyes, to time the wait, _wait_, _WAIT_. Four feet before it made its mark, the Chuunin struck.

_PING!_ The sword veered abruptly to her left.

Lazarus gritted his teeth. He gripped the L-Blade, feet planted on the ground—

_**KER-CHANG! KER-CHANG! KER-CHANG! KER-CHANG!**_

_**PA-CHING!**_

He twisted again, rotating a full three-hundred-sixty degrees. His leg lashed out in a high roundhouse kick. Sakura bent back, avoiding a nasty blow to the face. But the Spriggan did not stop there; he rotated once more, hopped forward with a sudden snap kick. Sakura snatched his foot and moved to kick out his other leg—

Lazarus smirked. He pulled his leg and allowed himself to fall on his back, taking the Kunoichi with him. She yelped, shock apparent on her hardened, youthful features. It was cut short when her opponent smashed both legs into her stomach and catapulted her into the air. She flew head over heels, the world suddenly knocked off its axis. One second she was floating, weightless like a bird is natural to the sky, its wingspan spread out for phantasmagoric euphoria … and the next she came crashing down, rolling to a stop in front of a pillar by the headstone.

Sakura groaned. Her back thrummed with fiery pain. Vaguely she realized the blade was still in her hand; that was good. She twisted her body, inch by aching inch, onto her stomach. She opened her eyes—

_PHWEEET!_ The L-Blade cut through the air with a high-pitched whistle.

Sakura cursed and jumped, chakra applied to the soles of her feet. The metal slammed into the sandstone and remained firmly lodged in it. She hit the ground and grabbed the chain, sword arm poised above her head to sever—

"PREDICTABLE!" Lazarus cried. He yanked the fetter—

And with an ear-shattering **BOOM!** the stonework around the peculiar knife exploded. Chunks of debris showered and pounded the area unrelentingly. Sakura fell forward and stumbled. The Spriggan lifted his leg, roared, and slammed his foot down. A massive root ripped through the earth with such force it impaled the Leaf-nin point-blank**(1)**.

She screamed – such an inhuman, animal sound of pain that could send the strong-hearted quaking with unbridled fear.

… And then she vanished in a burst of smoke.

Lazarus snarled--

"HEY, YOU!"

--whirled around—

"PAY ATTENTION!"

Sakura's gloved fist punched the floor, and a line split the battlefield like a series of cracks branching across the surface of a statue. Lazarus hop-skipped to the side and ran low to the ground, weapons readied at his sides.

"Hmph! Don't tell me what to do until you have procured victory!" the Spriggan barbed brusquely.

Sakura struck again – once! Twice! – with a rebellious yell. Waves of chakra manifested from their host's inner coils and sallied forth on a powerful surge**(2)**. Lazarus dodged the combers and deflected falling detritus. A big piece of packed earth hurtled towards him. He jumped, latched onto it, and leapfrogged over it. He landed with a crouch—

"GOT YOU!"

A superhuman jump away from the hammer punch spared him the damage erected. It leveled the circumference by eight feet and sunk the surrounding area by three and a half. Lazarus completed the back-flip and gripped the tree next to him. He tightened his fist and, when the Konoha Chuunin was up close, flung a handful of sawdust in her face.

Sakura gave a yip of surprise and stumbled back awkwardly, dashing at her eyes with a fist. Sensing an opening Lazarus crossed his arms before his chest and adopted an offensive stance. Hs hands clenched and, as if by magic, a plethora of knives fanned out from the very metal itself. They were sharp, sinister, gleaming things of destruction made to yearn for flesh and blood. And now … now they would get the chance to hunt.

He seized it with no hesitation. He flung the chainless blades one by one, each strike lightning-quick and precisely cutting into the Leaf-nin's limbs and vital points. "Your worth has become your folly!" he taunted. "Repent or be killed, mortal instigator!" He plunged headfirst into the cresting adrenaline rush, not allowing Sakura the briefest of seconds to recover and evade. The girl barely opened her eyes before the Spriggan swung his arms down in an arc and unleashed a tall crescent wave of pure energy with a shout of **"RAGING DEAD END!"(3)** It slammed into Sakura and bowled her head over heels across the combat zone. A tree stopped her flight but cracked against her weight and fell to its untimely demise.

Rivulets of red trickled from various wounds along her body and loose earth mixed and irritated the opened maws like a landslide spilling into an endless abyss. She lay sprawled on her back, legs up and bent in the air in a mocking display of human carnality. Pink tresses shadowed glazed, unfocused emeralds, vision doubling, tripling, blurring, darkening ….

_{Get up.}_

Sasuke …? What are you …?

_{I said, GET UP.}_

Get up …?

_{You want to get stronger, don't you?}_

_{Sasuke-kun, I….}_

_{If you don't face your opponent head-on you'll never win any battles. You'll never come out unscathed, or even alive. Now stand up and face me.}_

This is ….

_Training Ground 17. It looks just like any other practice fields: overgrown grass bowing as one to an impeccable breeze, dandelions and fern and motherwort patches crowning the feet of ancient, weather-beaten trees; the infrequent twitter of birdsong and the dead-weight that follows._

_Today is a glorious day. The sky is a blue so bright and deep one look at it and you are drawn to the infinity of tomorrow. The grass is green and crisp and oh-so springy. The breeze is cool and feather-light, a ghostly breath not so uncommon on a summer day. The sun bounces from shuriken to shuriken to kunai to caltrop to kunai to shuriken and caltrop in a haphazard display of hopscotch. In the midst of it all stands Sasuke Uchiha, dirtied but uninjured, his gaze hard and cold. In the midst of it all is Sakura Haruno, kneeling before the black-haired boy as if she is a slave to a rich kingdom and he is a prince to a kingdom that will be rightfully his to rule. Her red tunic, emblazoned with the Haruno sigil, is ripped and tattered. Cuts and bruises adorn her face and arms and legs like a bizarre work of art done by a sculptor suffering a nervous breakdown. A hand is clutching her erratic heart. She is breathing heavily and her eyes are screwed shut. They refuse to open because it hurts to look, hurts to see the shining colors. Most of all she doesn't want to look at Sasuke, because looking at him will hurt more than any physical and mental pain contrived on her frail form._

_It's no wonder he doesn't want to be seen around her …._

_{I … I can't. Sasuke-kun, please--}_

_{Begging for mercy won't help you. In this world it never does. You either get your act together and fight or die a petty, worthless death. You're a ninja, Haruno. Act like it.}_

_{How can I be a ninja when I can't even best my own teammate? How am I supposed to survive?}_

_{By getting stronger,} he says matter-of-factly. He turns his shoulder to the prone girl and looks on past the skyline where a hawk defies gravity and perfects buoyancy to its teetering balance. {Your strength comes from within, whether it's in your fists, your tenketsu, or your eyes. If you hold back then you will never be able to use your full potential.}_

Full … potential. That means Lazarus ….

_{Don't hesitate, Haruno. When the time comes, just act.}_

_Sasuke … come back._

_Sasuke, I … I can't do this alone. This place is a living battery. The longer I fight, the stronger faster Lazarus will get._

_But you're no longer here._

_I'm on my own._

_That's why after you left I promised … if I was ever going to be a pinch …_

"It is time to end this," said Lazarus. He raised the L-Blades above his head and, in a spectacular show of luminosity and spiritual energy, molded the two into one giant boomerang. He held it aloft before him. "In your name, your death shall be fleeting. Farewell!" He sprang into the air—

_… I'd rear my fist back …_

Lightning crackled around the metal, adopting an aura of soft blue. He reared the weapon back and growled, **"ARROW OF FATE!"(4)** He flung it earthward as hard he could.

_… AND BREAK THROUGH TO TOMORROW!_

Sakura ground her teeth. Then the world went white as the edge sank its steel fang into her flesh.

**_KRA-KOOM!_** The sound was ear-shattering and the bloom of light blindingly dazzling. Lazarus landed in a crouch and swiftly arose, staring into the light. He did not shield his eyes. It dimmed, and what was left of the smoke roiling from the impact zone was broken down to its base particles and dissolved in cyan pinpricks: the conversion of immaterial matter into natural, spiritual energy. Already the Spriggan could feel its power soaking into his lifestream, a rapid, cooling high of stimuli. It was euphoric.

He approached the eviscerated Sakura. There was hardly any blood on the trees, the grass, or the bushes. The giant boomerang-shaped knife was still embedded in her. He wrapped his hands around the smaller, shorter end of the edge. "Now, let's see what secrets you have …." He pulled—

_Corpse Release._**(5)**

**_BOOM!_** Lazarus was suddenly flying. Just as he was about to hit the headstone of his Lady Mandalus, an invisible force field rippled across the fabric of reality. He crashed into it and bounced off it. He lay on the ground, momentarily stunned, amid a shower of burning shrapnel. He moved to stand, but found he could not. Lazarus looked down at his hands.

They were gone, blown clean off at the wrists. Lazarus stifled a horrified gasp. _'That girl …!"_ The air shifted. Then, a roar. The Steel Fang hopped away, and the wind bullet**(6)** collided with the force field; it expelled with a sucking _whoosh_. Through the piercing dark, he could detect a very faint aura of power and, being surrounded by it, Sakura. _'Her chakra control is phenomenal, but she can barely siphon natural energy. Her body is trying to pump as much chakra into her tenketsu just to maintain the balance she's conjured, and they're not fully developed. It's impressive a person her age can keep the dual nature in check; if adrenaline can't streamline it, then it is by pure willpower alone. Without adrenaline, the structure will disseminate and rupture the coils from the inside.'_ Lazarus grimaced. _'But that does not concern me. No, what does is she is absorbing the natural energy and healing herself, albeit very slowly. If she continues at this rate, I won't be able to regenerate! I … I will fail!'_ Blue-white particles materialized and seeped into the stumps of his wrists—

Sakura charged at him with a spinning axe kick. Lazarus twisted around and cuffed her squarely in the face with his elbow.

The clone dissipated.

Metal glinted at his periphery. The Spriggan ducked and weaved between shuriken and stomped his foot. A set of roots carved an earthen wave of destruction toward the grove of trees she hid in**(7)**. It vanished in a rain of leaves, twigs, bark, and smoke, as was the Bunshin.

Lazarus growled. Where the hell …?

_Aha! Chakra!_

At this point his hands had regenerated, and they flashed to his belt as fast as the lightning he commanded. Two L-Blades were in and out in the open in seconds, and they struck home the girl running from her hiding place behind an amber-colored column.

It passed through the illusion with a flicker. The man's snarl deepened to a sneer. "Vain mortal! Face me like a true warrior!"

"Right behind you!" She said, and Lazarus of the Steel Fang turned and faced her as such. He had no time to act; Haruno locked both arms under his from the sides in a double chickenwing, bodily lifted him over her head, and with a yell sent him crashing back-first to earth via Tiger Suplex. His eyes shot open the instant the shock came and went … and found himself staring at the tip of a kunai covered in an explosive tag. "Now you either admit defeat or I plunge this thing so far down your brain and we both die a gory mess no one's going to clean up. Which is it?" She still retained that spiritual glow, and the hardness in her olive jewels took on its blue-white cyan shade. From where he lay, Lazarus thought she looked like the ghosts whom had once occupied Rockfall.

The Spriggan exhaled deeply. He smiled whimsically. "… I concede. The battle is yours, young Haruno."

"How do I know you're not lying and you won't attack me from behind?" The knife did not waver.

Lazarus chortled and smirked. "So paranoid you ninja are … but your words belie the knowledge nurtured through time and experience. I give you my word I shall not backstab thee. Go now," he nodded at the headstone. "The Lady waits. You need only apply the physis**(8)** to the sigil."

"Physis?" Sakura said.

"This energy all around us. The spiritual life-force of nature within and without. It exudes from your very pores. Go … and awaken her. Do not mind me."

Sakura stared at the man another moment, digesting his words, and then her features softened and she nodded. She pocketed the kunai, rose, and walked toward the Lady Mandalus' headstone. The force field that was present during combat was gone, providing access to a tiny incline. On the epitaph was a script the Chuunin could not recognize (nor had she ever seen such a script in any linguistics books she read), but the glyph was very clear; it was a scale in its simplest form: an upside-down 'Y' topped with a bar and two hanging 'Vs'.

Sakura reached out to touch, but stopped. She looked at Lazarus over her shoulder; he was still on his back, unmoving. She hoped she didn't hurt him too badly. Then the physis between her hand and the stone hummed, and she realized with a start she was already moving to brace it. She turned around; set her palm on the surface—

_(And I'LL be taking THAT!)_

And she cried and slumped to her knees. She grasped the slab's sides and clinched her eyes shut. Her head rang, pounded to the beat of her heart, wracked her extremities to the very core. She gasped shakily. It felt like she was being ripped from her own skin and stitched with a new one, pulling tight and pulling oh so taut ….

She thought she heard Lazarus say something, but the blood rushing in her ears and these physiological oddities made it impossible. She thought she heard a woman compliment the bliss of exchanging physis, but she was beyond seeing anymore.

Sakura blacked out.

* * *

Pein gasped. He hauled his gaze from the ground to the deepness of the forest, spending a moment in the dead quiet probing with his mind.

His eyes widened, and then narrowed. "It can't be …." he hissed aloud.

"Pray, Lord Nagato, what ails ye?" asked Kakaeru. He turned and regarded the Ame-nin with his round, spotted gaze.

Pein did not attempt to move from his place. "Someone's awoken a Saint. I don't know whom. I don't know which Saint it might be. How many are left?"

"Six is a fix, Milord," said Kakaeru, shuffling his hands about the tabard's sleeves. " 'Tis not a good number, but 't'ain't bad either."

"And eight makes the world straight," The red-haired man huffed petulantly. "Honestly Kakaeru, we can't be dawdling at a time like this. The Sanctum is already suspicious of us as it is, and I don't want to be land-hopping with their Knights and Paladins snapping at our feet."

"Aye, aye, don't git yer knickers in a knot, sah. We are all bluebells and dandies! acorns and pine cones! dandelion seeds and loose hound's fur …!"

"Oh, shut it! Your Western haberdashery does not amuse me!" Pein huffed and sifted through the leaves until the coppery edge poked from the greens. He picked it up and looked at the dodecahedron shard, scratched and discolored as it was. "The other piece is on you, correct?"

"As safe as a wee li'l bunny kin be in ah magician's hat," Kakaeru patted his cloaked bosom. "Let us tarry, then. We gots ev'rythin' we neededs from 'ere."

"Alright," said Pein as he stood. "I don't want that one-eyed bastard getting suspicious. It's a long trek from here to Rain, so whatever you do DON'T wander from the path. Do you hear me, Kakaeru? I don't want to have to search miles of open grassland for your hide!"

"Ah! My Lord, ye needn't be afraid! I shan't stray from the light; that light that is warm as steaming water and soft as a magnolia's virgin abdomen! Wherefore ye go, I go! Wherefore ye stay, I stay! This heart promises you so!"

"Good for you." Pein grumbled, and Kakaeru laughed good-naturedly. They passed the ruins of an underground stone compound and headed for a field of rice paddies, part of which was shorn to its stalks. A long, white snake lay at the entrance of the compound, its body in the process of decomposition. Its eyes were absent from their sockets, freshly gouged.

Kakaeru smiled.

* * *

**(1) **_Chishou_ (Ground Thrust): This variation is the same as the original _Chishou_ from "King of Fighters 2003" save that the pillar is of the earth rather than of stone.

**(2)** Power Geyser: There are no changes from the original _Power Geyser_ from "King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match".

**(3)** Raging Dead End: A _slight_ variation from the original _Raging Dead End_ from "King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match".

**(4)** Arrow of Fate _(Unmei no Ya)_: This variation is different from the original _Unmei no Ya_ from "King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match". Lazarus does not stand and summon a thunderbolt with a raise of his hand. Instead he merges the two L-Blades into one big boomerang and charges the air, the energy of nature, from the Den and siphons it to the weapon with his body acting as a lightning rod.

**(5)** Corpse Release _(Shitai Kai_): A Genjutsu technique used by Sakura Haruno in her fight against Lazarus of the Steel Fang. It is a high B – to – A-Rank Genjutsu technique whose attributes are similar to that of Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, Kawarimi no Jutsu, and Bakuhatsu Bunshin no Jutsu. As its name implies, the user's 'body' imitates death.

**(6)** Fuuton: Daitoppa no Jutsu _(Wind Release: Great Breakthrough Technique)_

**(7)** _Goushou_ (Strong Thrust): This variation is the same as the original _Goushou_ from "King of Fighters 2003" save that the pillars are of the earth rather than of stone.

**(8)** The Greek word for 'nature'.


	12. XI: Monarchs of a World Weary Kingdom

**Disclaimer:** All characters and locations belong to Masashi Kishimoto. Any characters and locations not recognized in the _Naruto Shippuden_ series belong to Jennifer Nicole Siciliano, a/k/a Grand Phoenix.

_A/N: I think I may have to start rereading this story again. This chapter wasn't intended to be so big (excluding this Author's Note here); I'll have to find a way to make future additions shorter unless it's absolutely necessary to make me a monster X__X._

_You're more than welcome to join my C2 if you're interested, and I've got a handful of Plot Bunnies if you're looking to write something. If either of these two options tickles your fancy, then hit me up in your review or drop a PM. You can find more information on my profile page for the list of rules you will have to follow and the fandoms my Plot Bunnies center on (though I wonder if I should include details on said Bunnies if anyone is curious)._

_Also, no snakes were harmed during the making of this chapter. Happy New Year, folks!_

* * *

**CHAPTER XI**

**MONARCHS OF A WORLD-WEARY KINGDOM**

* * *

"_History; a distillation of rumor."  
- _Thomas Carlyle

* * *

**SOMEWHERE ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF REALITY, NEAR AND FAR FROM THE EDGES OF TIME AND** Space, Sparda was at home. Beneath the silver tree with the star-shaped leaves he conversed with his friend the great-horned owl. It roosted on its favorite branch, the one that dipped now and then into the river-water, and it hinged on its Master's every word.

"We have gained two new allies on our journey," said the God of Springs. "Though our number has grown, we are not yet strong enough to accept the Challenge. There are still those Saints whom need to be made aware of our situation."

The auburn bird, its body facing the dredging course, snapped its gaze at Him and cocked its head.

"Yes, it is true what I say. There are six in total: three on the mainland; two on the atolls, and one in the land of the West. They are essential to our Mission, but there is still the matter of instilling the teachings of physis into Sakura Haruno. Though she has great control over it, she is extremely vulnerable when exposed to high levels."

The owl hooted and ruffled its feathers.

"I'm aware of the dangers posed to such direct exposure, but it is the only thing I can do to help develop her chakra coils. Thus, to further the maturation process she, alongside the Leaf reconnaissance team, will be venturing to the Uchiha Estate. It was there Saint Master Itachi summoned Sojobo. The Tengu King's physis will undoubtedly be a hotspot for the Shinobi to sense from a fair distance."

The owl again hooted. It arched its back and flapped its wings outward, as if gesturing for the man to continue.

"The Lady Mandalus and the Spriggan Lazarus have been sent ahead to scout the land for unusual activity relative to the Leaf team's mission objectives. Plus, should they find any sign of Team Hawk or Akatsuki, they will report to Sakura post-haste."

The bird calmed and folded its wings. The branch stilled from the erratic movements and bowed into the stream. The owl rotated its head to the Hall, where a number of Doors that were once open were now closed. However, during the night's passing the Hall had magically expanded and stretched beyond the mists where even more Doors lay. To Sparda it was not a significant loss, but a gain.

He nodded. "Yes, she will know in time. So will everyone. The Wheel of Time is just starting to remove the rust from its gears. It is only a matter of patience and observation before anything significant occurs. Until then we must wait…and hope for the best."

The owl gave a single hoot.

* * *

_WELL…WELL…WELL… Who do we have here? Mmm-hmm-mmm… you look like someone who can kick the first ass. Yeah, I saw what you did to ole Lazarus here; I have to admit that was quite the show. You've gotten a lot better keeping your wits sharp and focused, am I right, girlie? Well, I suppose it helps when y'have the old bag as a teacher and the freakin' green lantern for a drill instructor. …Oh! and let's not forget that Genjutsu chick and the chain smoker, too._

_Three years feels like a long time, doesn't it? Goin' in and out o' fights, yappin' with the war hawks and white-clad beasties, drinkin' the cup o' memories as if you could actually relive it and throwin' down hardcore nature's bounty with a flare of BIG BANG and SOUL DESIRE… You didn't have time to think about Mister Avenger, no time to wonder what sorta trouble that blonde's kid tryin' to get out o' this time._

_Kinda makes ya wish you had 'em stay home and play a real ninja's game, huh? None of this fratricide crap and soul-searching mumbo jumbo, it's been done to death for Gods knows how long. It's such a snore fest!_

_But that's why people like me are around. We don't beat a dead horse just for shits and giggles, no ma'am we don't! That's why you ordered us out into the woods to find that blasted boyo and his rapscallions. And guess what, kid? While you were counting sheepfolds we got a lock on 'im! Heh, not even dogboy and the ninken can catch a sign that quick! Ahhh, but you want to get straight to the point, so I'll do just that. He ain't far, I tell ya. He got into a nasty fight, see, and because o' it his chakra coils're shot. That means he can't hide himself and 'is team with any Blind Genjutsu tricks until he fetches for a medic or allows the coils to recover on their own, which takes more than a few damn years before they're fully healed._

_That's the good news, but there's one little problem we couldn't remedy. The Uchiha Estate's totally soaked in physis, the natural spirit energy we Saints and Spriggans (and your occasional Fuuinjutsu master) use. The boyo's fight involved two such users whom had access to it and… well, the place got FUBARed, if y'catch my drift. You'll hardly find much in the way o' things like footprints, chakra residue and Katon scorch marks, so I don't expect you to reap any rewards. Well, maybe just one…._

_…Ahem! You'll have to excuse me, kid. I'm gettin' ahead of m'self. As I was sayin', the Estate's a melting pot of physis. Most likely yer more experienced Shinobi like the Cyclops and the Gardener will sense it and lead you there. Though if I were you I wouldn't venture _too _deep into the ruins; your own coils are still acclimatin' to my physis. Go where y'feel comfortable and stay in the area. Trus' me when I say you _DO NOT _want t' experience withdrawal; quite the brutal sight, I tell you._

_Overall, my report concludes 'ere. Lazarus and I are gonna keep tabs on the lot fer the time bein', and a couple of our li'l buddies will be markin' their tracks along the way. No need to thank me, missy, I'm-a just doin' m' job; so's Laz, but he ain't obligated to stick around if he doesn't want to._

_Tally-ho, then! Enjoy your new gifts! Now WAKE UP!_

* * *

Sakura shot awake with a startled yelp. Her heart hammered against her chest and cold sweat beaded on her brow. What the hell was _that_? It felt like someone gave her a good, hard kick to the ribs, and by the Gods did it hurt! Didn't they know she had just tackled a Saint's Spriggan and was still smarting in areas she didn't realize could hurt? As a matter of speaking, who in their right mind thought it would be cute to hit a lady when she's sleeping, _especially_ when said lady spent a quarter of chakra keeping that Bunshin corporeal for an entire night?

"Oh. You're awake." Sakura looked up and found Kakashi Hatake staring down at her. He gave her a wave of his hand and a curved smile of his eye, for his other hand was occupied holding a copy of the Icha Icha Paradise (Sakura thought it had to be the latest edition in the series, but she was not one to dabble in pornographic material without very good – and very medical – reason). "Afternoon. You're an awfully deep sleeper, y'know that?"

"The afternoon?" the kunoichi repeated, wide-eyed and confused. "…What time is it?"

"Three o'clock, it is," replied the Jounin, turning to survey the other Konoha ninja milling about the campsite. He missed the look of utter alarm flashing across the young'in's face. "Everyone's been waiting for you since this morning. Yamato's picked up a particularly strong chakra signature north of here."

Sakura blinked. A familiar name flickered through her mind. "Do you think it could be…?"

"We don't know. It feels like Sasuke's…but there's something else in the air. I can't quite tell what it is. It's powerful, and it glows like a fiery beacon in the lifting gloom… at least that's what Yamato told me. He was up long before I was."

"What if it does turn out to be him?"

"Then we'll have no choice but to risk another fight. The odds are against us when it comes to that kid, what with our previous encounter two days ago. I'm starting to doubt if he even wants to return."

"But what choice will he have when he finally kills Itachi? What will he do when all accounts are settled?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. He can go one or two ways: he could be taken prisoner and be convicted of a number of years on felony charges…or he could resist and elude capture from Konoha ANBU and allied forces, which would elevate a criminal of his caliber to S-Plus status and warrant a kill-on-sight order issued unanimously by the Hokage or Kage's personal cabinet. Mind you, it's not that hard to see where he'll go with this. There's no way Sasuke is going to abandon his quest over a bunch of people who still care for him, because when you boil it down he'll do anything to get what he wants and he'll not stop until he does so." He exhaled deeply. "Ah, but that's how Uchiha are: stubborn and hard-headed to the very end; that was how Obito was before the war escalated."

"Wait a minute," Sakura interjected gently, her face alight with some inner reawakening. "What if Sasuke decides to cross the border? What if he heads into Grass, or Rain, or Sand, or Bird Country? Won't it be against mission parameters to go outside our jurisdiction without say from our superior?"

The Jounin nodded. "Technically, yes. We would need permission from Lady Tsunade if we were to expand our search outside Fire territory, not to mention a background check from border patrol. I've already sent her a request via summon earlier at daybreak, but I haven't heard from her yet."

"Do you think she'll let us go any further? We still have to be on the lookout for Akatsuki's base of operations, wherever that is."

"It all depends on the Hokage. If she answers back saying we need to return, we have to obey. It wouldn't be wise to refuse the Shadow's word unless you have very good reason to. Believe me, Sakura, dealing with missing-nin is a dangerous business to run, but you already know that." And Sakura did. She could recall now (shaded as it is), on her way to the haunted village of Rockfall, the events of the battle that nearly cost her life; of his cold black eyes, his harsh, fiery words, his unrelenting grip cutting the circulation in her neck—

_Oh the hate, the hate, the hate was so strong in him; so virile, so gross, wrapped and knotted in silk spider webs and thick, gummy tar; a lipless, toothless fear stirring in the stew of a demented womb. And oh, OH! it was as dark and deep and elastic, a hand and arm and elbow plunged unto the belly of chaos, lost and ill-forgot and wide awake._

Just. Like. His.

"_(I WILL MAKE YOU sleep….)"_ into the depths of Madness—

"Sakura." The girl blinked, whipped her head up into her Sensei's blue-grey iris. She stared at him, holding her breath. Kakashi stared back meeting unfocused green, and the pause between them was depthless. "I can't guarantee we'll come back with Sasuke, and I can't promise it will get any easier from here on out, but" at this he offered Sakura another of his eye-smiles "whatever comes between us and Team Hawk, I'll promise to protect you. After all you're my student, and that's something I won't forget. Isn't that right, Sakura?"

The kunoichi felt her face flush red. She averted her gaze from the cycloid man to the full green trees around them, which in her opinion she found more interesting to behold. "Y-Yeah. You're r-right. Though I'd wish you'd said that sooner, Kaka-sensei; out of the three of us you spent more time teaching Sasuke. Naruto had his Shadow Clones and I…I had nothing."

"Hey now, that was three years ago, kiddo. It's all in the past. Think about how you are now; being under Lady Tsunade's apprenticeship, learning from Kurenai, Gai and Asuma and, well, me of course. But beside the point, you know a lot more and have a lot more power than you did when you were twelve and a Genin."

"I'm aware of that. I know what I'm capable of. At least…I think I do." Sakura looked down at her gloved hand, curious and confused, and maybe just a tad contemplative. She couldn't quite put a finger on it, but for some reason she had the vaguest idea she was _more_ capable than she was yesterday afternoon. And it was peculiar, a part of her thought absently, that she could not remember what she did after that masked nin Tobi disappeared.

Before the answer could surface she felt something clap itself on her head. She grimaced as Kakashi-sensei ruffled the vibrant locks to an unruly mess. "Well, don't dwell too much on it. We might need that big forehead of yours." He ignored the heated glare sent his way. "Now go wash up and get something to eat. We leave as soon as you've finished."

* * *

Sakura wasted no time getting readied. There was a pool not far from the encampment, and under the cascading cataract and drooping eaves she bathed, washing away the blood and grime and sweat on her body. It felt cool and refreshing like the first rainfall in a drought-stricken land, and it was a release she welcomed and needed.

After partaking in the ritual of cooking and dining on cup ramen (courtesy of Naruto; who else would have a noodle fixation as firmly set as his?) the reconnaissance team packed up camp and departed.

The journey was straightforward, all forest and little hill. Ash and beech soon faded, transitioning to regal pine and femininely slender cypress. But as they were within an hour of the trek and crossing the wooded threshold, there was a lack of birdsong and curious wildfire, and this concerned both Kakashi-sensei and Yamato-taichou. Nevertheless they continued to pursuit with a fair warning for the younger ninja to be on their guard.

Sakura barely heeded them. Right now she was consumed in her own thoughts, absently keeping stock of where she went. Why had she slept so late, and on an important mission to pinpoint Sasuke and the Akatsuki? Her frayed memories only revealed the aftermath of her duel with Tobi, who she learned possessed a Sharingan and an enigma she could not comprehend. Sparda had come to her aid when the _nukenin_ fled, pulled her aside and told her the power residing in the rare white chakra – _her_ white chakra. The power to awaken the Juuyon Seijin.

_The Saints…._

Yes, she remembered now. She left a Bunshin behind at the campsite so she could not arouse suspicion. She went with Sparda to the ghost-strewn Rockfall where Lady Mandalus the Sixth Saint rested round gold and amber columns and domed gazebos. She tackled the Lady's Spriggan Lazarus chakra to physis, fist to fist, bladed weapon to bladed weapon. She… She….

What had happened after that?

Sakura would have liked to have an answer, or at least some sort of probable resolution, but Fate or Time deemed her unready when she saw Kakashi land abruptly on a branch. An uplifted hand halted the party behind them, bathing the ninja in green-yellow ambience. "Wait," he said firmly, and his lone eye squinted through the foliage. "Something's not right." After a slight pause he added, "Tenzou, can you sense anything else within that chakra well?"

The ANBU Captain opened his mind and initiated an area-wide search, but when a minute passed he shook his head. "I'm sorry, but there's nothing pertaining to Sasuke or his team. There's not even a speck of residue."

"That's impossible!" Naruto cried. "Chakra doesn't just evaporate overnight!"

"True," nodded Sai, "but depending on the individual it can take up to several days for it to dissolve. Those who are not attuned to chakra would have to rely on special technology provided by merchant and craftsmen guilds."

"What about you, Kiba?" Kakashi asked over his shoulder. "Any luck?"

The Inuzuka inhaled deeply. "Nope. The air smells pretty thick, though. Cold, too. _Very_ cold, I should add." Akamaru agreed with a bark.

The veins retracted from Hinata Hyuuga's eyes. "I sense n-no one within a thirty mile r-radius. But I agree with Kiba; the area is c-covered in a light, misty fog. I w-wonder what could ha-have caused it."

"Hey, what if it's some sort of Genjutsu?" said Naruto, and Sakura quirked a sidelong glance his way. "Y'know, what if someone used that Blind Genjutsu thing?"

"There aren't any particles in the atmosphere," said Yamato, cupping his chin. "It must be a Genjutsu, then—"

"It isn't," Sakura interjected, and seven pairs of various, colorful eyes turned to look upon her. This sudden action made her uncomfortable, nervous of the stares sent at her, and she wondered what inner impulse prompted her to say that.

Yamato-taichou did not turn, did not move, to face her. A quick once-over of his chakra levels told the pink-haired Chuunin he did not in any way react to her comment.

Sakura fidgeted. "Ah, um, what I meant to say is...I don't _believe_ it's a Genjutsu. Genjutsu affects the five senses. Our ability to pinpoint chakra signatures could be considered a sixth or even a seventh sense, but it's not a necessity like hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting or touching. Sensoring is cognitive, not perceptive. That's why I think it's something beyond our control. If we take the absence of animal activity and chakra signatures into account, then we should be very careful for what lies ahead." The reconnaissance team looked to one another and murmured amongst themselves, some nodding, others shrugging; Naruto hummed and scratched his cheek, skeptical but not unconvinced.

So Sakura waited, shuffling her weight between both feet.

Kakashi came to his decisions almost immediately. "She has a point," he said to Tenzou. "It might be a trap, but it's a risk we'll have to take. What do you say, Yamato?"

Yamato did not answer. Instead he turned toward the skyline, with crossed arms and an impeccable expression, but his eyes – his eyes were hard and tense, even if on the outside his body did not show it.

"Yamato?" Kakashi pressed, a slim, silver brow arching into his hairline.

"We should get going," said Yamato, sparing an unreadable glance at his superior. "The sooner we move the faster we can locate and capture Sasuke. We've wasted enough time as it is." And at this his copper-colored orbs flickered to Sakura. The girl chewed on her bottom lip, but nevertheless she held his gaze.

'_I know a lot more than you can imagine, Yamato-sensei,'_ she thought a tad bitterly. _'I chose to help Sparda because I'm the only person that fits the bill, so don't pin the blame on me.'_

Sakura managed to rein in her emotions - the part that wanted to sneer and wipe the stare from the Mokuton user's face; the part that wanted to deny any suspicions or involvement with shape-shifting gods and anchored ghosts of flooded villages; the part that wanted to be consumed by the guilt and shame of harboring secrets not recorded in any historical or religious text.

A confused frown was all that showed before Kakashi slapped a hand on Yamato's shoulder. "You complain too much," the Jounin chided with a chuckle. "There's still time to cover the distance. We might be able to catch up to Sasuke if we see him, so let's not dawdle around any longer." Then to his team he said, "Everybody move out!" And they were off.

* * *

They were in for a shock when they saw the Uchiha Estate. The building, once grand and regal and indomitable, was now a chaotic mass of rubble, debris, and glassed earth. Settled upon the ground was a faint, misty fog, and when the recon team stepped from the woods into open country they suddenly felt the cool dampness cling to their clothing and skin.

It took a moment for Naruto to snap out of the trance he was under, and another moment longer for Kakashi to realize that a battle _had_ taken place, that it had _called_ the last surviving Uchiha into their ancestral home and _forced it_ on its knees in the space of a single night. To witness such a scene of utter destruction and not have been woken by or - at the very least - sensed it was testament to the severity their mission; they also did not forget the nearly fatal encounter against Team Snake and Sakura's brush with death. They could not take for granted Sasuke nor Akatsuki's position of power.

These thoughts, however, would have to wait. Kakashi ordered the Leaf-nin to scour the perimeter for clues: footprints, broken twigs, crushed leaves, cloth that may have snagged and remained secure in the midst of escape. "Don't forget to set your radios to the same frequency," the Copycat Ninja told the squad. "If you find anything that looks important, don't disturb it. Report your findings to either Yamato or me, and one of us will head on over to check it out."

That had been fifteen minutes ago. The ninja meticulously searched their environs, their footsteps slow and eyes roaming warily. However, they did not expect the surprise emblazoned on the ground: a giant, red, upside-down tear barricaded by a pair of elongated, white parenthesis. It rose and dipped across the ruins like shark's teeth, covering the land from the outer perimeter to the fallen throne and burnt _futatsu-tomoe_ tapestry. Kakashi had Sai sketch it in his notebook, while the former activated the Sharingan and stenciled the sigil to his memory.

When Sai had finished he showed the drawing to the team as they huddled together and studied its simple design. It almost took up the entire page.

Sakura gave pause, inwardly stunned. It was a symbol for a Saint. It had to be! There was no doubt in her mind that a Saint had been standing here as the battle between brothers unfolded. But the girl was baffled. Sasuke did not know of the Juuyon Seijin's existence… and neither did Itachi. Was it possible one of them was secretly involved with the Saints and was a Saint Master himself? Could it be that a Saint was slumbering beneath the rock and sediment which the Estate was built on, and was awoken to aid the injured Uchiha?

Sakura cleared her thoughts and opened her mind, channeling the surf of white chakra comingling with the rush of life-pumping blue and the ebbing eddies of healing green. She blinked, and sure enough there was a ring of that flaming energy, particles and motes and vapors and bubbles of power coating every inch of concrete and scorched, buzzed grass like a psychedelic blizzard in summertime. It even laid its touch upon the fibers of each person's clothing, appearing as snowdust on one's shoulder or sparkling, blinding sunlight on the metal of their hitai-ate. What Sakura found surprising, most of all, was the sheer unknowingness the ninja perceived as _normal_ and not _unusual_. She reasoned it had to be their lack of white chakra they could not see it.

(And speaking of which, she wondered if their inability to do so was because they, as any normal human being did, saw blue and green chakra as the essential energies that formed matter and physics and gravity and the very air they breathed. Textbooks on chakra theory called it the _Lakshmi_**(1)**_ Conduit_, and it was described to be a complex network of pipelines that connected with the core of the planet, or _Amrita_**(2)**, a shining, golden pool of elixir. As far as the rest of the ninja world was concerned, white and dark chakra did not exist, or they were fables distinguishing their dual nature: calm and erratic, soft and rough, full and hollow. Perhaps her possessing of white chakra was a special type of Doujutsu – not exactly a Bloodline Limit, for example, but a power only granted when the bond between Master and Servant was established. She would have to ask Sparda about that when she heard from Him again.)

Naruto squinted at the picture. "It kinda looks like the sign you see for Suiton Jutsu in those introductory pamphlets the Academy hands out."

"Indeed it does," said Shino next to him, pushing up his glasses. "But the Suiton sign is a drop of water in a blue and white ring. This sign is a drop with two brackets."

"It could have been a Jutsu," said Hinata, hands wringing in her cloak. "Th-The Uchiha _are_ very strong. One of them c-could've used a v-v-very powerful Jutsu or Summon a-as a fi-finishing blow."

"Either that, or they used the Sharingan," added Kiba. "The Sharingan has a number of techniques for each person that wields it, right, Kakashi?"

"Yes, but the after-effect of most of those techniques is different for everyone. Kamui is a Jutsu that distorts a focused area of dimension and transports it to an undisturbed area at random. Amaterasu and Kagutsuchi are special Katon-based Jutsu that can burn and deflect anything that touches it. And Susano'ou… I have no idea what it does. It might be Susano'ou; then again, it might not. I've never seen anything like this."

"Perhaps we can send the picture to the Lady Hokage," Sai suggested, tearing the sheet from the notebook. "Shino, you are still a holder of the Dragonfly Summons, are you not?"

"Indeed, I am," said Shino.

"If you do not mind, let us use the fastest Summon you have in your repertoire. In that way we will be able to receive the Hokage's answer much sooner if we send the insect and allow the carrier hawk to remain in Konoha."

Shino consented and called forth one of the Aburame Clan's many prides and joys to the surface: The Common Green Darner dragonfly, the fastest insect in all the Shinobi world, and his name was Shori-no-Sensou**(3)**. The petite creature, no bigger than Akamaru, was given the drawing sealed in a storage scroll and, once it was secured, beat its paper-thin wings and embarked on his journey.

The team continued their investigation, and once inside the blasted walls they came upon a black scorch mark where once the sandstone throne stood tall and proud. It was nowhere near as great as the strange symbol that covered the Estate, but it was big enough to raise concern from the two leading Shinobi. A couple strokes of the hand from Kakashi and curious use of antennae by Shino's insects convinced them the source of the mark was from a powerful Raiton Jutsu, a spell that was swift, brutal, and instantaneous. Its roundness could not have been reproduced by a Katon Jutsu, not unless it was a technique that was unmoving and concentrated on a particular area of space; and its focal point was spot-on, unlike that of a Ranton**(4)** Jutsu, which, unless one was exceptionally skilled in it, was intended to spread wide and into _more than one area at a time_.

"This could only have come from Sasuke," Kakashi told his peers. "We'll have to be more careful when we cross paths with him again." Hearing this made Naruto grimace and clench his fists at his sides, his brow dented with unpleasant memories and an unclouded fervor to drag his tail home glinting in pools of iridescent blue.

There was not much else of interest, but Kakashi-sensei reminded the team to report anything unusual they happened upon. Until then they would have to wait for Lady Tsunade's answer. A perimeter was established as the younger members renewed their hunt, and the sun proceeded to ride its chariot deeper into the unreachable ether.

Sakura, at the meantime, was scrounging the mass of books and scrolls laid scattered all over the place. Some shelves and cases were lucky to withstand the damage. Others were crushed beneath the weight of the debris and, when lifted away by the girl's strong hands, indecipherable to read, be it the case of age or the previous night's battle. What little lettering she saw were of a different alphabet too ancient to translate (not even a Classic dictionary would offer the slightest help), or too faded, whereas the strokes and radicals made it impossible to tell what character it was. She had to admit it was a shame; she would have liked to skim the details hidden in the dust and learn their secrets word for word, but a person couldn't have everything in life. She would have to settle with salvaging any of the readable texts into the storage scrolls stashed somewhere in her pack.

The Chuunin was going through the pile one by one, sealing away medical textbooks whose covers were dry and cracked and handing off rolled, yellowed parchment to the teammates who joined in searching and procuring them. Most of these items were articles on the evolution of various Jutsu, a number of which contained indexes and glossaries and addendums stuck together in leafy clumps; sheets depicting illustrations of the many appearances of the Mangekyou Sharingan; a credo here and there on the Uchiha's pragmatic life stance; rolls on the fabled Dragon clans and their relation to the rite of birth (or, as Sakura noted, the coming of age) and the Holy Flame, an iconic power that is said to reside at the center of the Lakshmi Conduit. The shelves were soon emptied of their contents, and those that could not be saved were made into a mound and set aflame by a Goukakyuu no Jutsu.

A half-hour had gone by, and there was still no word from the Lady Tsunade. The time had to be round five 'o clock. The cool shades of eventide were beginning to reproach the warm afternoon brightness. Sakura was still about her task at an oaken bookcase, turning page after page of material that either sparked her interest or gallivanted her to copy down for further reading. She tapped her fingers on the wizened spines, eyes roaming the leathered expanse for one that would catch her interest. She had just about searched through most of what the selection had to offer; what else was there to look at?

Somewhere nearby Naruto shifted aside bushes and shrubbery, voicing his thoughts a little too loudly for his own personal gain. "Damn it, still nothing! Sasuke, you bastard, you coulda left some ash or a pile of hair you spend twenty minutes styling like a duck's ass every morning! Ah, what's that?"

Sakura stopped at a leather-bound tome whose spine stuck out from the rest. She pulled it into her hands and saw the black feather through the canopy of pages. A memory of red irises, dark cloaks, and raucous cawing in a clearing surrounded by scores of forest struck her like a thunderbolt. She looked down at the cover, reading the title to herself: "_The Forgotten Era: Of the Fourteen Saints, The Forum, and Other Esoteric Secrets from Obscurity_, by Yonjirou Uchiha." She stared again at the feather. It most certainly had to had come from a raven or crow, and the only person she knew of who associated with ravens and crows was Itachi. What use did the missing-nin have with this?

She popped open the book to the section marked. The words immediately jumped out in bold print: **THE JUUYON SEIJIN (and the people who fought to change Gaea – for good or for ill)**, and below the introduction read as such:

_"The world as we know it today is systemically ruled by the jurisdictions of Hidden Villages and samurai precincts, with people under the title of either Kage, Daimyo or Shogun directing the course of development depending on the area they as a separate body govern. However, in the days before borders were drawn and nations formed, there was anarchy. People were caught in the dregs of constant war be it intentionally or unsuspectingly, and they witnessed the horrors wrought by their fellow man as they fought for supremacy and power. Because of this some became victim to their ferocity displayed, and they ran and hid in fear as a tide of blood and darkness descended upon the land. This continued for many, many years, as man fought for those who could fight for themselves…and for himself…until one day the gates of Svarga opened, and from the heavens there were fourteen men and women who arrived from bridges of white light that formed on the west, south and north coasts. This group called themselves the Fourteen Saints, or the Juuyon Seijin in the Classical tongue, and they said unto the weak and defenseless they were enlisted by the One True God, the Shin'ichi-no-Joutei, to deliver peace and stability to our mortal world Gaea. Willingly they served the defenders, and from their impoverished state the humans rose, tackling every obstacle and mental tribulation thrown their way…."_

To Sakura this was nothing new, but the fact that an _Uchiha_ penned this thick mass was both startling and incredible. Weren't the Uchiha reputed to be strictly monotheistic, a family who saw not God but Agni**(5)** as the sole Creator of the world's – Gaea's – being and the Holy Flame that sustained it? Were they not also known to openly oppose all other religions, especially the Six Paths of Rokudo-sennin? For this Yonjirou to write this novel and still have it within Estate premises…Sakura couldn't imagine the backlash the man might have faced at the time of its publication.

She skimmed through the introduction and found herself at an in-depth guide of the subservient Saints (in which men were _Sevaka_ and women _Sevikaa_) and their Masters (males were called _Svaamin_; female Saint Masters were given the title _Svaaminii_). A brief list was compiled at the center of the page, showing the names from first to last:

_I. Lady Ananda of the Wheel  
__II. Duke the Armored  
__III. Lord Ibid Redjacket  
__IV. Umbras Hoenheim  
__V. Lady Namkha of the Cross  
__VI. Lady Mandalus of the Scales  
__VII. Jhivadkha the Helix  
__VIII. Rhodes the Colossus  
__IX. Aurion the Steadfast  
__X. Sojobo the Tengu King  
__XI. Jeremiad  
__XII. (The) Listener_

The last two names were scratched out. Sakura leafed through the contents, curiosity overpowering the yearning to understand the treasure trove of knowledge in her grasp. Page after page turned, yellowed and cracked and leathery, the musky scent of dust and age assailing her nostrils.

Naruto leaned forward, and his eyes flew open with joy as he locked eyes with a red, black and yellow-banded coral snake. "Hey there! What's a little guy like you doing lazing about in the shade? You're s'pposed to be out hunting! Hey, you want some ramen? I got some ramen somewhere…." He didn't catch the snake's tongue flicking the air.

Sakura arrived at the end of Listener's section, and her heart stopped for several beats.

The pages were missing. The information on the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Saints were ripped out. Torn from their bindings. Gone.

"Itachi…." She whispered the name in a hushed breath. What was he hiding? What he did know that he didn't want her to find out? Was this feather even Itachi's? Was the feather a place-marker from Yonjirou himself, and if so what intentions did he have for blacking out the names and removing the papers?

"What are you looking at, Sakura?" asked a voice behind her. Sakura about-faced and came eye to eye with: "Yamato-taichou! I was just—"

"Let me see that," said the man, and with great reluctance the girl transferred it to him. He looked it up and down with hard features – a downward turn of the mouth, knitted eyebrows, the narrowing of the irises. He hummed, and then opened the cover and flipped through the assortment of pages.

"Yamato-taichou—"

"Hush," he told her, his tone clipped and firm; and he resumed his task, ignoring the nervous gaze sent his way. He noted the black feather, turned to the section Sakura had moments ago revealed, and began to read.

Sakura's heart pounded erratically. Sojobo's sigil was in there; surely Yamato-taichou would see them. And then what? Then the secret would be out. About Itachi. About Lady Mandalus and Lazarus and the other Saints and Saint Masters. About white chakra. About Sparda and herself. Oh Gods, what was she thinking, she shouldn't have picked up that book. She was going to be reported for hiding secrets crucial to the missions, she was going to be tried for adhering to _false gods_, she was going to be picked apart like roasted meat for her white chakra for a Kekkei Genkai to harvest to isolate to profit _OH GODS_—

Naruto pulled a cup of the instant meal from his satchel with a triumphant cry. "Aha! Here we go! Now let me get this open…." The coral serpent reared its body back.

Yamato hummed again and, after an agonizing pause, closed the book. "Sakura."

Haruno swallowed dryly. "Yes, Sensei?" she asked evenly, desperately unwaveringly.

"I much appreciate your distribution of the various materials kept here, but this book...it's utter rubbish. There's no such thing as white chakra or Fourteen Saints. This is clearly heresy at its most radical. The author – this Yonjirou – must have had a death wish when he decided to forgo this project."

"Wh-What?"

"It has nothing to do with the valued information among the rest of the contents. What could you possibly find interesting in this garbage?"

"G-Garbage?! Sensei, this is about the lesser deities people worship! How can you say it's gar—"

"I'm only voicing my opinion. If it really catches your fancy, then you can keep it." He held forth the volume away from him as if it were diseased. "I want nothing to do with it—"

_"Hisssssss!"_

_"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"_

So loud was the scream that Yamato jumped with a shout and dropped the tome. The entire team, which was in the vicinity of the collapsed bookshelves, whipped their heads around – and out leapt Naruto, a splash of searing orange and blond hair against the ruined backdrop. "! It'sinmypantsohgodit'sinmypantsgetitoffme!" he wailed, and like a bag of bricks he hit the ground and rolled about in the dust, flailing his limbs and grabbing at his clothes, most specifically around the legs.

Hinata was in an unfortunate position; as soon as she saw Naruto clutch at the unnamed area her face flared a shade of extremely hot pink. "…N-Naruto!" She covered her mouth and nose with both hands.

Sai watched his teammate with bemusement. "Huh, so the fox isn't dickless, after all."

Hinata whirled on him. "S-Sai!"

"HELP ME!" the Jinchuuriki whined out. He clawed at his chest, and a curvaceous bump slithered across and down his torso.

"Hey, Sensei, d'you see that?" Kiba pointed out the bump to the Cyclopean Jounin.

The one-eyed man squinted. "What the hell…? Naruto, what on earth did you do this time?"

"I DIDN'T DO NOTHIN'! THE SCALY BASTARD STARTLED ME!"

_"Hissssssss!"_ said the snake.

"I swear," the white-haired man said with a sigh, "if you tried to give that thing ramen like you did with the pandas and tigers I'm not even going to bother help you—"

"IT'S RED-ON-YELLOW!"

"What?!"

"Aw hell no!" Kiba exclaimed.

"What's red-on-yellow?!" Hinata frantically asked.

"Please stand aside," Shino told to his squad as he summoned a swarm of Kikaichu insects round his arm. "I will neutralize the threat in three, two—"

"_Oh, for the love of all that is holy!_" Sakura bellowed exasperatedly. She darted passed a speechless Yamato and toward the hapless Naruto. Once there she reached down, snatched the front of his jacket with one hand and plunged the other into the depths of his pants (seeing this made everyone's eyes widen, and the blood from Hinata's nostrils flow faster. Naruto could only feel the heat leaving twin burn marks on his whiskered cheeks.) "Come here, YOU!"

_"Hisssssss?!"_ The serpent found itself snagged by the tail and yanked up into the air. A bloodcurdling war cry ripped from Sakura's throat, and before the creature could react the girl flung it at the nearest standing wall. It flipped head over end like a Fuuma _shuriken_, one, two, three, four, five, six times, and then— _SLAP!_ It bounced off the sandstone and flopped to the ground, unmoving.

Hinata gasped, still covering her face. "S-Sakura!"

"God DAMN, woman!" said Kiba, incredulously, his jaw unhinged.

Shino appraised Sakura with a raise of his eyebrows.

"Not so bold now, are you?!" Sakura taunted, and slowly the coral one lifted and shook itself off. "Go back to your jungle and stay there!"

_"Hiss!"_ It answered by revealing its long, sharp fangs at her.

Sakura gave it a one-fingered salute. "Right back at ya, pal! Now get, before I make you ground beef with my size seven boot!"

The snake glowered, but it did not rise to the girl's bait. It sped off into the shrubland and disappeared in a rustle of tall grasses.

An awkward silence followed, and all eyes were on Sakura. The Chuunin huffed and walked toward the discarded book, in which she deposited her traveling pack, retrieved a storage scroll and proceeded to seal the item.

It was broken when Kiba suddenly and harshly started laughing. He slapped his haunches and wiped tears from his tattooed cheeks. "What just happened? Did you decide to get possessed by a demon?"

"Yes, Sakura," agreed Sai with a distastefully fake smile, "is the banshee finally showing its true colors?"

"Oh, shut it!" the pink-haired Kunoichi snapped, stowing away the sealed scroll. "I only did it because no one else was going to."

"B-But Sakura," stuttered Hinata, wiping her bloody nose with a handkerchief, "d-did you have t-to resort to vi-violent methods? I don't quite un-understand this r-red-on-yellow thing, but I as-assure you it m-must have been quite ha-harmless."

"The coral snake can be either venomous or non-venomous," Shino told his squad members in his stoic tone. "The phrases 'red-on-yellow' and 'red-on-black' refer to an old rhyme that is said to have originated from the Western continent. _'Red-on-yellow kills a fellow; red-on-black venom lack'_, so it goes. It is writ this way to distinguish the various species which roam hitherto."

Hinata blinked her lavender irises. "Oh, well," she pressed her forefingers together, "th-that makes sense. St-Still, you didn't h-have to be so mean t-to the snake and…well...y-you know…." The rest of the sentence was muttered under her breath. Sai, who was standing closest to her, heard what was said and chortled.

Sakura huffed. "It doesn't matter. It's over and done with." She crouched next to Naruto's head and stared into his dazed blues. "And YOU, not a word of this to Master Jiraiya or _ANYONE_. Now get up."

"You put your hand down my pants," he said in a hushed voice. "You actually put your hands down my pants."

"Whoopee-freakin'-do. Shake it off, moron, I didn't _touch_ you."

"But Sakura—"

"SHAKE IT OFF!"

"Alright, alright! I'll clean my hands of it! Just don't hurt me!"

"Promise me."

"Promise you?"

"Yes!"

"Right now?"

"NARUTO!"

"Okay, okay! I won't tell anyone! Not on my life! Believe it!"

"_You better…._"

"I'm serious!"

"Good!" Sakura rose and hauled the Jinchuuriki to his feet. He dusted himself off and scooted away from the Hokage's apprentice, inwardly fearing for his own safety.

The sound of drumming wings reached Kakashi-sensei's ears, and he turned to see Shori-no-Sensou approaching from above. The dragonfly hovered to a landing next to Shino and from its mandibles deposited a sealed scroll into his Summoner's gloved hand. "Ah, that must be Lady Tsunade's message," said the Jounin. "Go ahead, open it."

The Aburame nodded and, after dismissing Shori-no-Sensou, tampered the seal and unrolled the parchment. Behind his dark glasses his eyes scanned the elegant calligraphy line after line.

"What does she say?" asked Hatake to Aburame. "Are we given the go-ahead?"

"Yes," answered the youth. "The Hokage managed to persuade the Elders to proceed with the search, though it was not an easy task. She has extended our mission parameters to scout as far ahead as Wind and Waterfall Country. Should Sasuke and his team cross the west, north or east borders or sails south along the Sea we are to abandon our parameters and return post-haste to Konohagakure for further orders. Should we encounter them at any point during the retrieval, we are to engage all four members and apprehend them, be they dead or alive. Once that objective is accomplished we are to rendezvous outside the Village gates, transfer any or all members to the ANBU Interrogation and Torture Unit, and stand by for further orders."

"What about that strange symbol? Did she put a word in on it?"

"She has, but unfortunately she cannot provide a sufficient answer to our inquiry. She has never seen anything akin or remotely similar to it. The Elders, most specifically Councilmen Mitokado, Utatane and Danzou believe it to be a warning sign from Akatsuki."

"That is…most concerning," Yamato said, at last finding the incentive to speak. "If Lady Tsunade herself doesn't know what it entails, then we should take this at face-value and consider this as a threat."

"Threat or no threat, we're still going to kick their asses!" proclaimed Naruto. "Sasuke's more important than anybody else; I'm draggin' 'im back home by the tail whether he likes it or not. I swear on it!"

"We don't even know where those people took him," Sakura interjected. "We have to approach this one step at a time before we make any irrational moves." That was true, because her mind was still open, and so far the white chakra was not offering a clue as to which direction the three missing-nin went in.

"Then where a-are we supposed to be-begin?" Hinata posed curiously. "We can't e-even sense Sasuke's cha-chakra."

"Hey, don't ya fret," Kiba assured the gathered ninja. "I've got Akamaru and Kakashi-sensei's _ninken_ out there scouring every inch of this land. If there's one thing I and those mutts can pick up better than anyone else it's scent, and we'll keep looking until we find a bare wisp of it! Speaking of that," the Inuzuka boy cocked his head over his shoulder where the forest lay, "I think that's them right now! Hey, Akamaru, whatcha got there?"

Sakura went to his side. One glimpse at the item brought her instant recognition. "It's Sasuke's cloak."

"It is?!" And it was with Naruto's exclamation that got the young'ins and adults together in a circle; and as Kiba turned the black cloth inside and out they saw the proof confirming their suspicions: the sewn Uchiha emblem. Elation and disbelief welled within the Jinchuuriki. "Then…then that means Sasuke's nearby!"

Kiba laughed and ruffled Akamaru's ears. "Good boy, Akamaru! Show us where ya found it and follow the scent!" The dog barked in acquiescence and darted into the woods. Kakashi ordered the recon to group in a diamond formation, with the Inuzuka taking the lead while and Yamato-taichou secured the rear.

Sakura was at the rightmost point of the formation, ignoring every obstacle about her save the path before her. How far were Sasuke and his troupe from their present location? Were they already preparing traps and the like to set them back? What would their next course of action be when they learn their enemies were a stone's throw behind them?

_'Svaaminii Sakura.'_

She blinked. Who said that? The voice was deep, not so much as Yamato's. Where did it come from? It sounded like it was resonating inside her—

_'Speak with the mind. Don't turn your head. Look with your eyes.' _She did, and just as she was about to pass the faceless myriad of trees ahead she saw up in the branches a figure clothed in gold and black, bronze hair framing a sharply angular face.

_'…Lazarus?'_

_'Aye, 'tis the Steel Fang. I am yours to command.'_

_'Command? How did that happen?'_

_'Do you not remember? Thou hast challenged and bested me in combat. This manner of speech, the ability to communicate abroad a metaphysical plane, is called Telepathy; it is the most universal method to exchange tidings amongst Svaamin and Sevaka. The moment thou signest thy Lady's contract, we hast been linked unto you…and in more ways than one.'_

_'What do you mean?'_

_'The Lady Mandalus was…exceedingly generous whence she gaveth you unto the One and Many, but prithee, Svaaminii, focus on your quest. I shall explain as we go along.'_

* * *

**(1)** The Hindu Goddess of prosperity, light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage. She is also the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm.

**(2) **The Hindu Goddess of wealth, fortune and fertility.

**(3) **Japanese for "Victory of War".

**(4) **Short for _haran_, which means 'stormy' in Japanese.

**(5)** The Hindu God of fire, lightning and the Sun.


End file.
